


Godhood

by SilverDaye



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Ancient Greek Religion & Lore Fusion, Complete, Gen, Greek Mythology - Freeform, Greek gods, Hades - Freeform, Mount Olympus, Mount Olympus (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore), References to Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, Skywalker Family Drama, Skywalker Family Feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-25
Updated: 2019-11-22
Packaged: 2020-09-26 06:20:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 66,955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20385064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverDaye/pseuds/SilverDaye
Summary: (Greek God AU) Leia is the daughter of Darth Vader, god of the underworld, and has been (accidentally) kidnapped by the mortal Han Solo. To save Han from facing the wrath of her father, the two set out to Olympus to seek the aid and blessing of the other gods. Meanwhile, Vader is determined to find his daughter and bring her home.





	1. Chapter 1

Han landed with a hard thump. The ground was brittle and bit into his back, legs, and arms. He slowly lowered his head as his vision spun. The calls of the winged monsters rang loudly overheard. Despite the pain, Han couldn't help but smile. He had done it. He had crossed the River Acheron without having to cross on Charon's boat. Han patted the pouch that hung from his belt. He could feel the two coins still in there.

Slowly, he pushed himself to his feet. He looked behind him at the dark purple waters of the Acheron. The waves rose and fell and twisted and formed human shapes. Their arms were reaching out of the waves. Their fingers falling apart into foam. They clawed and screamed. Their eyes wide. But no sounds were heard but the soft rush of the water hitting the rocky shore. Acheron was the river of pain, but he didn't have time to dwell on that.

Han stood up and looked at the vast underground cavern. Crossing the Acheron meant he was now in the land of the dead, Hades. The cavern was dark and filled with sharp rock columns that disappeared into the darkness overhead the hid the ceiling. Han sighed. He needed to hurry, so he started to walk along the shore. He eyed the waters uncomfortably. The dead who were unable to pay the ferryman were forever trapped in those waters. They were all too willing to drag anyone down into the depths should they venture too carelessly to the water's edge.

The silence grew except for the soft rush of waves on the rocky shores. The caws of winged monsters were dying out as they flew away. Han focused on the sound of the rocks crunching under his sandals.

"Did you just ride a drexl over the river?"

Han jumped. He went scurrying back, but stopped himself after a few short steps. He eyed the water. Hands formed the white foam of the soft waves. They were ready for the moment Han got too close. Han quickly stepped away and looked up. He froze and gaped. Sitting on a rock was a young man. A teenager from the looks of it. And he clearly wasn't dead.

In fact, he looked so painfully alive. More alive than Han had ever seen anyone. There was a golden glow about him. The youth had tanned skin and golden blond hair. His eyes were a bright blue like the sky. He was dressed in a white chiton tunic that was tied around his waist and leather sandals. A black stripe ran along his tunic and a red pattern above that. He carried no pouch or weapons.

"I've never seen a mortal do that before," the youth said. His voice was intoxicating. Melodious. Han wondered if he was a singer. "Why not just take the ferry?"

"I need to save the coin," Han said. His own voice sounded rough in comparison.

"Oh?"

"I'm here to find Qi'ra. I need two coins for us both to go back," Han explained.

"Qi'ira? Your love?" The boy's eyes sparkled as he asked. For a second Han was standing under the night sky. Thousands of stars blinked all around him. Then he was back just looking into the boy's eyes. Han blinked and then blinked again trying to clear his head. Did this boy blink? His eyes had yet to close once.

"Yeah," Han said slowly. "I promised I'd come back for her. And . . . I meant it. Even if that means coming into Hades itself."

"How long ago did she come to Hades?" the boy asked.

"What?"

"How long ago? That will depend on where she is at in her journey."

"I uh . . ."

Han paused as he looked at the youth. The youth had mentioned mortals. Was he _not_ a mortal? The youth jumped off his rock and grabbed Han's arm. It felt warm and soft yet strong.

"Come," he said and pulled Han away from the river. Up a rocky incline they went. The walls of the cavern slowly appearing out of the darkness. In the wall was a jagged opening. A slice within the rock. The boy pulled him into the tunnel.

Then the youth started to run. His hold on Han was tight, so Han was forced to run with him. He tried to say something, but found his mouth felt thick as if filled with thick honey. He was barely keeping his feet under him. His free arm waved wildly about. Any moment now Han would trip.

But soon, light grew ahead of them. They came out of the tunnel into another large cavern that was filled with a fores. The trees were thin and tall with white bark and silver leaves. Short gray grass grew among the roots.

"That way," the youth waved to their right, "is the Asphodel Meadows. That is where ordinary souls go to reside. That way," the youth waved to their left, "is the Mourning Fields where those who wasted their lives on unrequited love reside."

"Hey, it wasn't unrequited love," Han barked defensively.

The youth laughed. It sounded like bells. Like the ones they rang at the temples of the gods. "Good luck then," he said.

"Uh yeah. Thanks," Han said.

The youth nodded and saluted Han with two fingers. Then he turned and walked off into the trees. Han took a steadying breath and walked into the forest. It was quiet, but there was a soft sound almost like a rustling of leaves. Or whispers.

The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. He could feel eyes on him. He turned his head this way and that, but all he saw were the trees. Though a few times he swore the knots in the tree bark looked like faces and their branches like arms. He tried to look down at his feet as much as possible.

The trees were neverending. His feet were tiring. He debated on resting, but decided that it would be for the best to keep pushing on. Eventually the trees thinned, and he found himself at the edge of another river. On the other shore stretched a grassy plain that rolled gently with soft hills. Pale green and white grass swayed gently, but Han saw no one in them. Perhaps the dead were further in.

He walked to the pebbled shore. He looked for a crossing or a bridge or even a boat. Would a boat require payment? He stared at the waters. Unlike the Acheron, these waters were smooth. Almost as smooth as glass. The water seemed to glow a light blue. Would it be safe to swim in? Han walked up to the water's edge. He could feel the chill of the water on his toes.

"That is the Lethe," came a feminine voice.

Han was startled, but didn't jump. He turned to see a young woman standing nearby. At once, she reminded him of the youth he met before. She was dressed similarly in a short white chiton tunic. Her hair was twisted back into buns on either side of her head. Her eyes and hair were a warm brown.

And she glowed. Warm and golden. Her chest rose and fell. She was alive.

"Luke was right," she said as she walked over to Han. Her voice was silky and smooth. He closed his eyes for a second to enjoy it. "There is a mortal here. Is it true? Did you ride a drexl over the Acheron instead of paying Charon?"

"Uh . . . Luke?"

"My brother, whom you supposedly met."

"The blond haired kid?"

She nodded. Her large doe eyes looked at him unblinking.

"Then yeah, I met him."

"So, you're looking for your lady love?" the girl asked.

"Yes."

"What's her name?"

"Qi'ra."

"Qi'ra. Qi'ra," the girl said as she rolled the name around her tongue. She looked around in thought. "Hmmm. And you are?"

"I am Han. Han Solo."

"I am Leia," she said. "And that is the Lethe River. It is the river of forgetfulness. Drink its waters and you shall forget everything you have ever known. The shades of the dead are required to drink its waters so they forget their earthly life."

There was a sharp pain in Han's heart. So even if he found Qi'ra, she wouldn't remember him?

"She may not be there yet," Leia said picking up on his woe.

"How am I going to know? How am I going to find her?"

"I could help," Leia said with a smile.

"You would?"

"Not for free of course. First rule of Hades, nothing here is without a price."

Han's hand went down to his pouch which held his coins. "I can't part with these. I need them to go back."

"Oh I don't want coins," Leia said. "Now let me think."

She kicked a pebble. It bounced into the river. It didn't make a sound nor splash. It was simply gone with only a small ripple to mark its passage.

"Leia! Leia!" a voice in the trees called. A voice like bells. A voice like laughter.

Leia sighed and rolled her eyes. The young man from earlier ran out from the trees. He trotted over to them.

"Leia," the youth said. Hadn't Leia called him Luke? "It's almost time for the feast. We must go prepare. You know how Father is."

Leia's face lit up and she turned to Han. "That's it! You want to find your dear Qi'ra? Very well. Attend the feast and dance with me."

"What?" Han said.

She smiled. "I will see you there!" she said with a laugh that reminded him of summer rain and ran into the trees.

"Wait? What feast? Where is it?" Han called after her. He turned to her brother. The youth only laughed. He walked up to Han and patted him on the shoulder.

"Come now," he said. "Can't go to Lord Vader's feast dressed like this."

"Wait? Lord _Vader_?" Han exclaimed.

Luke grabbed Han's arm and pulled him back into the trees. They passed through the trees in a matter of steps, though Han had traveled through them for a great length. They entered a tunnel and wove their way through various passageways. Eventually, the passages started to lighten with a red light. They exited the tunnel into a much larger tunnel. Raging down the center was a river of molten lava.

"The Phlegethon," Luke said casually with a wave of his hand. "The river of fire. If you follow it upstream to its depths, you shall reach the pits of Tartarus."

A thick knot formed in Han's throat as he thought of the prison for sinners. Luke was moving on and Han quickly followed him. A narrow stone bridge crossed the raging river. Luke walked across it without care, but Han was much more careful. He could feel the heat. Sweat dripped down his face and back. He tried to focus on the bridge. On his steps and not on the water that looked like flames.

Upon reaching the other side, Han sighed in relief. He wiped his face with his arm. The further away from the river he got, the colder it seemed to get. Had it always been this cold? He also noticed a change in the rocks. They seemed much more smooth. Carved. In fact, he started to see carved columns and decorative motifs.

Soon, they were no longer walking through a tunnel, but a hallway with towering ribbed stone columns on either side. The hall extended into a large room. Rows and rows of columns stretched into the dark. In that darkness were small flecks of distant glitter. The first piece of the glitter they came across was a gold coin. Then Han noticed a second and a third. Then a pile.

As they moved on, the gold coin piles grew and grew. Soon the whole floor beside the path they walked on was nothing but gold. Then it became more than just coins. Statues. Jewelry. Gems. Slabs of swirling marble. There was a large red crystal that towered taller than Han. The place was piled with treasure. Even in the distance, between the columns, the treasure grew and grew into rolling hills.

"What is this?" Han whispered.

"The Treasury of Hades," Luke said. His voice light. Unnerved.

"I thought . . . I mean I've heard tales but . . ."

"Didn't think it existed?" Luke said with a laugh.

Lord Vader was the god of the underworld, and as such the god of the riches it held. Han himself had kneeled and banged his head and hands against the floor in hopes Lord Vader would hear his prayers and grant him riches. Luke stopped by a pile and dug through the treasure. He picked up a necklace and then casually tossed it aside.

"What are you doing?" Han hissed quietly.

"You can't go to Lord Vader's feast dressed like that," Luke said.

"I can't go wearing stolen treasure."

"It's not stolen," Luke said. "We're merely borrowing it. Just be sure to return it before the keepers do their count."

Luke said it so nonchalantly. Without a care.

"The keepers?" Han asked.

Luke pointed up and Han followed the finger up to the ceiling. It was dark and Han couldn't make out anything. But he kept looking and he was sure there was something . . . moving . . . up there. Something slithering. Something with scales that glittered just like the treasure.

"I think this will do," Luke said as he held an armful of treasure. "Still more work to do. Let's go."

Luke led Han back out of the treasury, over the raging fiery river, and back into the tunnels. As they continued through the underground maze, Han realized he had no idea how to find his way back. How would he return the treasure? Find Qi'ra? Even find his way back to the Acheron?

Noise started to echo through the tunnels. Loud squealing and grunting. It wasn't long before Han started to smell a foul stench. He plugged his nose, but Luke carried on in his normal carefree way. The stench and the sounds grew worse. They exited a tunnel onto a raise pathway. Below them stretched animal pens. Inside were hundreds of squealing pig-like animals. They were huge and hairy with four tusks. They all rolled around in white stinky mud.

Luke walked down the path until they came to an empty pen. He placed the treasure on the ground.

"Come here," he said. Han walked over and wondered what was next. He wasn't expecting Luke to grab his arm and throw him into the white stinky mud. He was surprised at how easily Luke had done it. By the gods, the kid was strong!

At once, Han was flailing in the sticky mud and was soon covered in the stinky mess.

"What? What was that for?" he shouted.

"You smell," Luke said with a smile.

"I do now!"

"No. You smell like a mortal. Like someone _living_. I don't think you realize my sister's request. She's asking you to go to the feast of Lord Vader, the ruler of Hades. All sorts of beings will be attending as guests. None of them mortal. You have to go into the feast and dance with my sister without being found out your a living mortal."

Han stilled. He sank into the mud some more. "What happens if they do find out?"

"It's best not to dwell on that. Come on, get out."

It took a few moments of struggling, but eventually Han pulled himself out of the mud. Luke collected the treasure, and the two returned to the tunnels. This time Luke only led him a short distance to a wooden door. They opened it to find a rather normal looking room. A small fire was in a fireplace. A wooden bed was shoved into one corner. A small table with two chairs in another. Clay cups and bowls sat on it.

Luke dropped the treasure on a table and at once started to dig in a trunk in the corner. He pulled out a large black fur coat. He draped it over Han's shoulders. Then he returned to the trunk and pulled out a large skull. It looked like it belonged to one of the pigs. It was thin with four tusks. He placed it on Han's head as if it were a helm.

Then he took the jewelry and started to place it on Han. There was a large gold necklace with several chains. A huge red ruby hung from the center. There were a few bangle bracelets and two large rings. Luke laced a few thin strands of gold along the tusks. Then he picked up a piece of coal that had fallen out of the fire. He used it to mark all over Han's face.

"I guess that will do," Luke said as he tossed the coal back into the fire.

Luke opened the door and Han followed. They exited the room and onto a street . . . A street? Han looked around. They were on a road. A paved road with stone buildings. Not a tunnel with squealing and stinky pigs nearby. The road led up a large sharp hill. Houses and buildings were everywhere. Yellow and blue fire lit up windows and large braziers lit up the streets.

It was a city. A whole city underground. It was larger than Coronet City on Corellia. Han had to tilt his head back to see all the up the hill. At the top was a large building. No, a palace.

"That's the palace of Lord Vader," Luke waved at it. "That is where the feast is taking place. Just follow the roads up."

"Wait, what about-" Han said, but already Luke had ducked back through the door and shut it.


	2. Chapter 2

Han patted his pouch. Despite the mud, he could still feel the coins. He started to walk down the road. He headed up switch-backs and steep stairways. He quickly started to grow tired. The heavy fur coat and the weight of the skull and jewels pulled down on him. His legs burned. His breathing became labored. Sweat poured down his back under the heavy coat.

Why did it seem so easy and fast when he traveled with Luke?

But Han kept going. As he did so, the streets grew more crowded. Luke was right, none of the beings were mortal. There were all sorts of creatures. Centaurs trotted down the large roadways. Harpies bounced along the rooftops. Gorgons slithered up the stairs. Walking skeletons wore dresses of the finest silk or elaborate war amour. Corpses with rotting flesh laughed and jostled each other. One even had an arm fall off. All were headed up to the palace.

The palace was huge. Han had known that when he saw it earlier, but now being up close he gaped open mouthed at it. He had never seen anything like this in the mortal realm including the Imperial Palace on Coruscant. _Because this wasn't built by mortals_, he chided himself.

It was made of black marble and lit by large golden brazers of blue flames. Han followed the crowds inside to a huge room. It rivaled the large caverns Han had already seen in Hades. It was filled with all manner of creature and beast and monster. Han shied away to the wall.

As he did, he passed a large table set with food. His stomach growled. His mouth watered as he stared at the banquet. There were skewered fish and steamed meats. Fresh baked bread that still steamed. Plates of fresh fruit and vegetables. There were platters of sweets.

Han followed the table. He drooled from the sight and smell of all the food. It was long and almost never ending. But the food started to change. It started to look more and more odd as Han walked on. As if it were stale and starting to sour. Soon he saw the food become discolored and rotten. Then moldy and sunken in. Then he saw flies and maggots crawling all over the food. Then the food became bowls filled with living slithering snakes and jars of bugs. There were plates of oozing bloody bowels and a goblet filled with eyes. At once, Han lost his appetite.

He made his way to the safety of the wall. He needed to find Leia, dance with her, and get out. He couldn't help but watch as the party goers approached the banquet table and eat handfuls of food, most of which was the rotten or still living food. Han turned his attention away from the banquet table. He looked out across the grand hall and-

On the far end of the hall, the floor was raised. There sat a large black throne on which a figure sat. There was no denying _that_ figure. One Han had seen statues of. Seen it carved into funeral vases. He never thought he would ever see a god.

A true living _god_.

It was Darth Vader, lord of Hades. He sat on his throne and wore all black. His face was completely covered by a terrible black mask in the shape of a distorted skull. He wore a black helmet on top. In one hand, he held a long two-pronged bident. Most of it was black, but the top was a glowing red. He was draped in heavy black robes. Han could see nothing of the figure underneath except for golden burning eyes.

A shiver ran through Han. He was out of his depth here. Far out of his depth. He should leave . . . He started to retreat back to the entrance, but he bumped into someone. They growled at him, and Han quickly dashed into the crowd. He pushed past figures. Some were freezing cold to the touch. Others wet soft or hard and spiky. There were growls and snaps and hisses and shouts.

He wound up by the banquet table again, and he turned away from it. He came to large roasting pits. He saw whole pigs being roasted and then a whole horse and a bull. Then he saw the humans. The spitroast pole shoved into their mouth and out the back.

"Oh gods," Han muttered to himself. He remembered asking Luke what would happen if it was discovered if Han was a mortal. Was this his fate? Then he noticed the person on the spitroast . . . the person _blinked_. They were alive! They were being _roasted_ _alive_.

A wave of nausea hit him. He had to get out of here. He had to get out of Hades. Find his way back to the Acheron and board the ferry. He spun away and pushed his way through the crowd. Oh gods. He was going to die here. He wouldn't even find himself in the meadows or the fields or wherever. He would be eaten.

He stopped dead when he heard the laughter. It floated above all the other noises; the chatter of the partygoers, the growls and whoops and hisses, and the ethereal music that seem to come from everywhere but nowhere. He followed it, and that was when he saw her. Leia. His mouth fell open. She was . . . beautiful. Amazing.

She was a goddess.

She was dressed in a long dress that started off white and faded through various shades of blue which ended in a deep midnight blue. Her hair was laced with blue flowers and spun with gold thread. Small gold beads and blue gems dangled from the thread. She wore a dainty gold necklace and bracelets on her wrists. There were no rings upon her fingers.

She completely stood out amongst every other creature there. She glowed. She shone. She was . . . She was _alive_. Unbelievably so. It hurt to look at her compared to all the rest. Han's eyes watered.

She wasn't a creature of the underworld. But then what was she? And why was she here? She stood amongst a throng of other young women her age. The women were all beautiful. Breathtakingly so. And yet Leia's beauty, though perhaps a bit simpler, still outshone them. As Han took a closer look, he noticed something off with the other women. The light would catch their skin and he'd see scales. The eyes would flicker into silts. A smile would show sharp teeth. A dress would flutter revealing a tail or cloven feat or furry paws.

Succubi.

Beautiful demon women that lured men to their deaths. No wonder they were all beautiful. Leia stood in the middle. The whole group's attention was on her. She leaned in and whispered to a few. The other girls would giggle. It looked so . . . normal. The girls kept eyeing a group of young boys.

Han looked them over. Some were beautiful men with lovely bodies. Some had muscular chests. He wondered if they were seducing demons as well. But there were some whose flesh was falling away to reveal muscle and bones underneath. One man had four arms. One only had one eye. They were eyeing the ladies. In another time and place, it would look like a group of youths waiting for someone to ask them to dance. It was surreal to see it here.

"You won't get to dance with her if you don't ask."

Han yelped and jumped. He spun and turned to see Luke. He took Han's breath away. Like his sister, he stood out from everyone else. He was golen. He was alive. If his sister was dressed like the sky at dusk, Luke was dressed like the morning sun. His long chiton was bright red with golden detailing. He wore a golden choker with red jewels on his neck. A crown of gold with red leaves laid on his hair. His blue eyes sparkled. There was _life_ in there. Who _were_ Luke and Leia?

Luke put his hands on Han's shoulders and spun him around to face Leia. He leaned in and whispered. "Just go up there and ask her to dance."

"You say it like it's so simple," Han barked back.

Luke laughed and he pushed Han forward. He stumbled, but then collected himself. He could do this. He was Han Solo. He strode forward as confidently as he could. As he approached the ladies, they all seemed to eye him. But Han only had eyes for Leia. Her eyes lit up as she recognized him. He wasn't sure what to do as he stopped right in front of her. So he held out her hand.

"Care for a dance?" he asked.

The other girls exchanged looks and giggles. Leia smiled and took his hand. It was her who pulled him out to the dance floor. And they danced. She smiled and laughed. And it was contagious. He could only smile and laugh with her while they moved.

Everything else faded away. There was just this joy. A light bubbly joy. His smile stretched from ear to ear. Laughter fell from his lips. From her lips. By gods, her laughter. Angelic. There was a warmth to her that seemed to radiate off of her and wrap around him. He leaned towards her.

Every now and then they would touch. Her hand would brush against his. His leg would bump into hers. Shivers would run up his body. His hair would stand on end. He would catch her eye, and his breath would escape him. Everything would escape him. His name. His words. Even his sense of self.

There was just _her_. Never had he felt this way before. It made him wonder if this was what it was like to have a mother. Someone warm and safe that wrapped his arms around him. That laughed and kissed him. Kissed . . . what would her lips be like? He grabbed her arm and pulled her close. Her eyes widened. They sparkled like embers in a fire. He leaned in. His eyes on her lips. So round and pink. So warm . . .

It all came to a sudden halt as three loud bangs filled the air. Han spun and saw that Lord Vader had stood. His bident in his hand. He swore the god was staring right at Han. Gold eyes lined in red. The warmth suddenly vanished as everything grew rapidly colder. The cold seemed to snap at him. Nip at his fingers and toes and ears. He shivered and his teeth chattered.

A hand grabbed him and pulled him into the crowd. Han yelped and tried to push them off, but it was Luke. He smiled and nodded at Han before he disappeared into the crowd. However, it wasn't long before Han saw both Leia and Luke walk up the steps to Lord Vader.

In unity, they both stopped and bowed. Vader held out his glove hand. Luke took it first and kissed the knuckles with Leia following. Then they moved pass Vader and sat down on small backless chairs on either side of the throne. Luke sat on Vader's right with Leia on the left.

Who were these two to sit beside Lord Vader? Who was Luke to sit at Vader's right hand? Han's thoughts were cut short as a long bang echoed through the hall again as Vader slammed his bident on the ground.

"Bring forth the entertainment," a deep voice echoed. It was Vader's voice. A voice Han didn't want to hear again.

Vader settled back down on his throne. Whatever the entertainment was, Han wasn't watching. His eyes were on the throne. A servant brought out a large chalice. She bowed and handed it to Vader. He took a deep sip and then passed the cup to Luke. Luke drank from it. He passed it back to Vader, who handed it to Leia. She took a sip, but pulled away coughing and sputtering. Vader took the cup from her. He then placed a hand on her back as if he was comforting her.

Leia kept coughing. She said a few words, stood, and hastily bowed before walking away. Vader and Luke watched her. Then Luke spoke up. Vader's mask turned to face the youth. Then Luke stood up, bowed, and walked after his sister.

What was going on? Who were they?

_Gods_.

But that didn't make any sense. There were no gods or goddesses like Luke and Leia living in Hades. Right? There weren't even any known gods or goddesses with that name. Right? What were they the gods of? The deities that lived in Hades were all those associated with the afterlife like death, sleep, and dreams. That didn't seem to fit either Luke or Leia. They just didn't seem to _belong_ here.

A hand pulled on Han. It was warm and soft. He only sighed and allowed himself to be led through the crowd and out a small side door. Soon he was on an empty balcony with Luke and Leia. They both wore black cloaks with their hoods drawn up.

"You actually did it!" Luke said. "I can't believe you did it."

Leia smiled.

"It was only a dance," Han said.

"It was almost more," Luke muttered as he shared a look with Leia. She blushed. Han had a bad feeling about this. It was more than a dance somehow.

"Alright. You got your dance. You tell me where Qi'ra is," Han said.

"Oh that's easy," Leia said. "She's not here."

Han froze. "What?"

"She's not in Hades. She's not dead."

"But . . . But . . . I saw her body! She was dead!"

Leia shrugged. "No Qi'ra here. She is still amongst the living."

"Perhaps she wasn't as dead as you thought?" Luke asked.

"OH! Maybe she faked her death," Leia said, turning to her brother. Then she looked at Han.

Luke said, "Maybe the unrequited lover wasn't her, but you."

"I . . . uh . . . kriff," he cursed. "I thought . . . I _knew_ she was dead."

"Perhaps it is time to return to the land of the living and ask her that yourself?" Luke asked. "For entertaining my sister, I shall show you the way out."

Han could only nod. Luke grabbed Han's arm and pulled him along. Leia walked beside him. No one said anything. Han was too lost in his thoughts.

He had promised Qi'ra he would come back for her. It took him three years, but finally he made his way back. She had been a slave to Dryden Vos. Han had offered to take up a job to buy her. It had been tricky. Han hadn't almost pulled it off, but when he'd gone to give Dryden the payment, Qi'ra had lain dead at Dryden's feet. Han had rushed over to her. Held her cold body in his arms.

He was barely aware that he had stopped moving nor of the hands pulling off his heavy fur cloak and the skull. Of someone unlatching the jewelry. He just kept thinking of Qi'ra's cold body. How it had looked so pale. But was it as pale as those he saw here? Those who were truly amongst the dead?

"Well, we're here," said a voice.

Han blinked a few times. Luke and Leia stood side by side staring at him. They had rid themselves of their cloaks at some point. They were still dressed in their feast finery. Han looked around. They were in a small narrow tunnel at the foot of a steep winding staircase that dug itself up and up.

"Here?" Han asked. "Where is here?"

"There is more than one way in and out of Hades," Luke said. "These stairs will take you out. Keep your coins for when you truly need to cross the Acheron and pay the ferryman."

Han looked at Luke and Leia. They still glowed and hummed with life.

"Who are you?" he asked. "I mean, what are you? You're not dead."

They both laughed. "No," they said at the same time.

"Then what are you? Mortals? Gods?" Han asked. Neither one replied. "You two don't belong here. You belong up there." He waved up the stairs. They both looked at the stairs longingly. "Have you ever been up there?"

"No," Luke said. "We belong down here."

"That's nonsense," Han said. "Don't you see how different you are from everything else? How _alive_ you are?"

The siblings shared a sad look. It pained Han to see. He could feel tears burning his eyes.

"Come with me! I can show you!" Han pleaded.

"We can't leave," Leia said softly.

"Ugh," Han said.

He leaned forward and grabbed Leia's hand and pulled her. She stumbled forward and he pulled her up to the first step. She gasped. Her eyes went wide.

"Leia!" Luke called out.

The earth started to shake. Rocks started to fall. The passage was going to collapse. He tugged on Leia, but she wouldn't budge.

"I can't!" she cried.

"We have to go!" Han cried. "We'll be buried alive!"

The earth continued to shake. Larger rocks started to fall from the walls and ceiling. He leaned over and swept her up in his arms. Then he ran up the steps. The rocks shook and continued to rain down. After several steps he turned around. The passage was completely caved in. Luke was nowhere to be seen. The earth continued to move, so Han ran up the stairs.


	3. Chapter 3

"Leia!" Luke called. His feet wouldn't move. They were stuck to the spot as if he was cemented to the floor. He watched as the rocks rained down and closed the stairs. "Leia!" he cried again. He still couldn't move.

He could hear the clicking of legs and the slither of scales as the monsters of Hades responded to his father's calls. The monsters wound themselves around Luke ready to protect him at all cost. Luke continued to struggle, but was completely encased by large creatures. He continued to cry for his sister. That was how his father found him.

Darth Vader, ruler of Hades, materialized out of the darkness. The monsters that had curled around Luke unwound themselves and slithered away. Luke was finally able to move. At once, he ran to the caved-in staircase.

"Leia!" he cried. He pounded his fists against the rock. "Leia!"

Large gloved hands grabbed Luke and pulled him away. His father pulled him to his chest. Luke trembled as he fought back tears.

"Luke," came Vader's deep voice. "Luke, look at me."

Luke looked up at his father's black mask. Gold eyes burned down on the boy.

"Where is Leia?"

"She-she's gone," Luke said. Never had they had been apart. Not truly. Not like this. It felt cold. When had he ever felt this cold?

"Gone?" Vader hissed. His mask looked at the caved-in wall. "Where?" Luke said nothing. "Luke, _where_? You know you two cannot leave Hades on your own feet."

"He took her!" Luke said.

"_He_ took her? _Who_ took her?"

"Han . . ."

"Han? Who is this _Han_?" Vader growled.

Everything seemed to be growing colder and colder. It was getting harder to breath. He could feel his heart beating in his chest. It hurt.

"A mortal," Luke whispered.

"_A mortal_," Vader hissed.

Luke felt weak. He knew his sister was getting further and further away. And the further Leia went, the more drained he felt. Then he felt a snap. The thread that had always been between them was broken. The one that linked them. He gasped out in pain. His knees gave way. He thought he would fall to the ground, but his father caught him.

"Luke?" Vader cried. "_Luke_!"

"Leia . . ." Luke said as he eyes shut and passed out.

* * *

Lord Vader carried his unconscious son carefully back to his palace. Luke was nestled in his arms. Vader kept looking down at him. Something was wrong. Very wrong. Luke's skin, which was always a wondrous glowing tan, was becoming dull. The boy was paling. He was also becoming cold, which was something Luke should _not_ be. The boy was not of the underworld. He radiated warmth and light, and now all of that was fleeing him.

_Why_?

Vader did not know. Never had the twins been separated. Leia must be in the mortal realm by now. This is what must have caused this reaction in Luke. Was she going through the same thing? Vader's heart clenched inside his chest. He tightened his hold on his child. He lowered his head into Luke's soft sandy blonde hair. No. _No_, he would not be able to bear it.

He was soon in Luke's large room. He gently pulled away the clothing Luke had worn to the feast. Then he tucked the child into the large bed. Luke's lip trembled. He was _shivering_. He was _cold_. Vader frowned. Never had the temperature of Hades affected his children. They were _gods_.

He called for servants to bring him a warm blanket. He took off his mask and helmet while he waited. Two women wraiths appeared carrying a large silky black fur blanket. Vader took it from them and placed on top of Luke. He brushed the hair gently away from Luke's forehead.

"Luke," he said softly. But the boy didn't stir. Vader leaned over and left a gentle kiss on his son's forehead. "It'll be alright," Vader whispered. "Leia will be back soon. I will see to it. Then all will be well."

Then he straightened up. He gave his son one last look before he marched out of the room. His hands were balled into fists. His leather gloves creaked.

"Piett!" Vader bellowed.

At once, the lich materialized from a cloud of blue smoke. At first, he took on the appearance of a skeleton. Tattered black clothes hung off his bones. Bright blue fire glowed in the darkness of his empty eye sockets. But then, in an instant, it all changed.

The creature now looked like a man. He had pale-fleshed skin. He wore a muscled breastplate made of black matte metal. Under he wore a sleeved black tunic. On the bottom were ten stripes marking his rank. Five red and five blue. On his head was a Corinthian helmet made of the same black metal as his breastplate. Large black feathers went down the middle of the helm. He bore no weapons. Not here. Not in front of the Lord of Hades.

Vader stopped and spun on Piett. He was Vader's commander of his undead armies.

"My daughter has been stolen. By a _mortral_," he hissed as he pointed a finger at Piett. "She has been taken to the mortal realm. I want her found and safely returned to me. Use whoever and whatever you must. Let the word be known throughout all of Hades that I shall offer one favor to the one who brings me my daughter."

Piett had long since mastered a neutral face, but even now Vader could see he fought back a surprised expression. It was blasphemy. Someone had _kidnapped_ the princess? Someone dared to enrage Vader? God and King of Hades?

"Of course, my lord," Piett said. He bowed and in a puff of blue smoke he was gone.

Vader continued on. He had others to get in contact with. Within the hour all of Hades would be clawing their way up to the mortal realm. He would have his daughter. He couldn't lose her. Not _again_. He already lost too much . . .

* * *

True gods, true Olympians, were born rarely. Many were born from other gods. A few came about through other means. Anakin was one of those. He had been born to a mortal woman, a mere slave, and yet no mortal blood flowed through Anakin. His blood was golden ichor. He was a true Olympian despite his birth. Yet, he was raised as a mortal for nine years. It was only then the other gods discovered him and brought him to Olympus.

He was the youngest god when he first arrived. The rest of the Olympians were curious as to what god Anakin would become. Many wondered if he was perhaps a god of smithing or woodworking. Anakin was good with hands. He crafted the fastest ships ever to sail the seas. Perhaps he was a god of sport and horses. He loved to race horses and chariots. Some thought he would be a god of mischief, as he often did not listen to his elders and easily got himself in trouble.

In the end, he became a god of heroes for his bravery and courage. Olympius named him Skywalker. He was well liked amongst the mortals for anyone could be a hero. Anyone could need courage. It did not have to be in time of strife and war. Many shrines and statues were built in his likeness. And he loved the mortals back. He often walked among them and was quick and easy to give gifts of courage.

Yet unlike other gods, he didn't woo young mortal women to lay with him. His eyes only looked longingly at one. The goddess Amidala, goddess of justice and law. Like all goddesses, she was breathtakingly beautiful. When she appeared before mortals, she painted her face white with red lips and two red dots on her cheek. She wore her hair braided and spun around her head was a gold crown. Often her statues and art depicted her wearing a blindfold and carrying scales to signify the judgement she carried wasn't biased.

But in the realm of heaven, she was simply known as Padmé. A young goddess that had also fallen in love with Anakin. They made a divine pair. It was clear to all who saw them together how in love they were with each other. However, amongst the Olympians, many thought the two should not marry. Anakin and Padmé were both still young for immortals. Too young for marriage for those who lived forever.

And yet, the two snuck off to the mortal realm and married in secret. They were able to hide it for a time, until Padmé became pregnant. A birth of a pure blooded god was cause for celebration. The number of gods, of true immortals, was only about a hundred. One might think their numbers to be larger with all the tales of gods and their sordid affairs. There were others who lived on Olympus. Demi-gods and other favored beings of the gods.

Padmé and Anakin tried to hide the pregnancy, but eventually it became known throughout Olympus. The Pantheon Order, the council of the twelve ruling gods, was not pleased with their actions, but finally gave their blessing for their union. A formal wedding was held and proceeded over by the eldest god, Yoda god of wisdom. It was a joyous occasion, and everyone looked forward to meeting the new godling.

However, back on the mortal world, a war was raging. There were groups who had become unhappy with the Great Peace and had broken away from its great Senate that gathered on the island of Coruscant. But the Senate didn't like these Separatists. Everyone needed to be part of the Great Peace. But the Separatists argued the Peace was only advantageous to a few and thus wanted to be free. So the war started.

Anakin and Padmé had to take up their roles as the god Skywalker and the goddess Amidala despite the pregnancy. It was in the mortal realm they met Palpatine. They had known of him before the war. He was the Chancellor of the Senate. Holder of the Great Peace.

He first came to the gods' notice during the invasion of Naboo. Neimoidian raiders seized control of the great and beautiful city there. A city dedicated to Amidala. The Naboo pleaded to the Senate that the Great Peace had been broken. The Neimoidians said they were liars. That was when Amidala stepped in. Palpatine had pleaded for Naboo's case. At the time he was a simple senator who swayed the Senate with his words. Aid was sent to Naboo. The Neimoidians were chased away.

Palpatine had shown courage in not backing down in front of the Senate. He had gotten Anakin's attention. The young god was curious, so one day he visited Palpatine, who knew at once Anakin was not of the mortal realm. Impressed, Anakin revealed himself as the god Skywalker. He befriended Palpatine and visited him often, especially since his wife frequented the Senate to help bring forth justice. She already knew Palpatine from her work, but was not as close to him as her husband.

But neither detiety knew the darkness that lurked with in Palpatine. He hungered for immortality. The easiest way was to get his hands on ambrosia or nectar, the food and drink of the gods said to grant immortality to those who consumed it. But those things were heavily guarded up on Olympus. So Palpatine turned to what he did have access to; two young deities.

It was Palpatine who created the war to lure Amidala and Skywalker to the mortal realm. It was Palpatine who begged Skywalker to grant his soldiers confidence and bravery. It was Palpatine who prayed to Amidala that justice would be served as his enemies were cruel and unfair. And it was Palpatine who lured a very pregnant Padmé into a dark temple. It was his knife that buried into her heart. Her golden ichor bled onto the tiles, from which Palpatine lapped it up like the dog he was.

The other gods had come rushing when they heard Padmé's cries. The god of negotiation and debate, Obi-Wan, found her. It was he who helped bring the twins into the world. It was he who watched Padmé go cold and still. He was the one to accompany the twins and the mother's body back to Olympus. He was the one to tell Anakin, who was on the war front, what had happened.

Anakin returned to Olympus. He found his newborn children and his wife, who was lifeless with a large gash in her chest. Her heart was gone. It had been stolen. He tried to focus on his children, but the anger never truly died down in him. So, one night, he left Olympus unnoticed. He searched the mortal realm for Palpatine. He destroyed entire villages in his hunt. Burned fields. Crumbled cities. Sunk ships. No one was spared from his wrath. Men, women, and children all perished under his red glowing blade.

The Olympians had to intervene. They captured Anakin and dragged him into Hades. They were going to throw him into Tartarus, but as they came to the Phlegethon, the river of fire, Anakin fought back. He freed himself and escaped. Obi-Wan gave pursuit and the two duled on the black shores. Anakin lost as Obi-Wan cut him down, and the young god fell into the river.

What emerged from the flames was no longer Anakin Skywalker, the god of heroes. He was Darth Vader, the god of Hades. He was bound to the land of the dead. Vader cursed the gods and the fates, but the gods only thought the new role was fitting. Let Vader deal with the dead he had created.

Eventually Vader came to terms with his new role and asked for his children, but the Olympians denied him. The children were gods of Olympus. They were full of life. They did not belong in Hades, the land of the dead. They would be raised amongst their kind.

Vader was furious. He would _not_ be denied his children. And so he plotted . . .


	4. Chapter 4

Darth Vader stood beside a tree on Mount Olympus. It was deep in the shade of a thick wood that bordered a meadow. It was his first time back since he had changed. Already he could feel the pull of Hades on him. He couldn't be away from the underworld for too long. He hated this feeling. This sense of duty. The responsibility of being a god. It was engraved into his very soul. Into every god's soul.

If they didn't have such a duty, then Padmé would be alive. It was what drove her to the mortal realm when she was so heavily pregnant. She had a job to do.

"Please, Padmé," he had begged her. "Stay here. Stay on Olympus."

"Ani, I can't," she said placing a hand on his cheek. At once he leaned into her touch. "I am needed. You _are_ needed. We can't ignore this war. Even now, I can hear the mortals' prayers ringing in my ears, begging for justice. My shrines are full of offerings. I can only imagine yours must be worse."

He took a sharp breath. Even now, it pained him to think of her. How she was gone. Gods didn't die. Even the traitors like Revan and Bane were locked away in Tartarus, or given eternal punishments like pushing a boulder up a hill, only for it roll back down when it neared the top. Gods didn't die. And yet . . .

He was pulled from his thoughts as four people entered the meadow. Two young women held the hands of two little toddlers. Vader leaned forward. It was the first time he had seen his children in some time. They had grown so much. They were bigger. They could walk better.

His heart jolted inside of him. Each beat hurt. How he missed them. He had been so foolish in his thirst for revenge. He only had one regret. It wasn't for the hundreds of mortals he had slain. The bodies of children he had cut through. Nor was it for the fields he had burned down and salted. It was that he hadn't thought about his children. He had assumed they would be safe on Olympus where mortals couldn't harm them. He hadn't realized the danger of the gods.

But he was about to rectify that. The twins let go of the hands of their two caretakers and waddled into the meadow. They were both dressed in white tunics and soft leather sandals. They looked at the grass and the flowers, but it was Luke who first looked into the trees. He stopped and stared. Then he started to waddle straight towards the trees.

"Dada!" he shouted gleefully.

Leia immediately looked up, her big brown eyes looking at the trees, and a huge smile on her face as she started to race after her brother.

"Dada!" she shouted as well.

"Luke! Leia!" came the shout of one of the young women tasked with watching the twin godlings. "Come back! Your father isn't here!"

"Ahsoka!" came the voice of the other young woman.

Ahsoka only gave a quick glance at her companion before she ran after the two babies who were almost to the edge of the meadow.

Ahsoka was a young woman of mixed beings. Her father was a satyr and her mother a nymph. Her skin was orange with white markings. Her hair was white, and she spun blue threads throughout it. White horns curled out of her hair. She dressed in brown leathers with a dark red tunic underneath.

She had once served under Skywalker. She was a young fierce warrior trying to find her way in the world. It was Anakin who had brought her to Olympus, and it was him who left her to guard his babies. Which she was still trying to do now as she ran after them.

"Dada! Dada!" the two little ones cried as they made their way into the shade.

Vader could bear it no longer. He stepped around the tree. At once the twins let out a shriek of delight and hurried over. Vader lowered himself to the ground and opened his arms. The twins ran up to him and wrapped their small arms around their father. Vader tightened his arms around them. He kissed them over and over and over. He kissed them on the cheek, on the forehead, on the hair. They laughed and giggled. They kissed him back between delighted calls of dada.

"Anakin!" Ahsoka said.

He looked up at her and she gasped. He knew what she saw. Yellow burning eyes. The sky blue had been burned away in Hades when he fell into the river of fire. He now dressed in all black, which only made his eyes stand out more.

"Anakin," she said softer.

"Soka! Dada! Dada! Look, dada!" Leia said as she noticed Ahsoka approaching.

Ahsoka gave a weak smile. "Yes," she said. "I see him."

"Dada! Dada here!" Luke said. "Dada here Soka!"

"Anakin—" Ahsoka started but was cut off.

"Do not call me that," he hissed. His tone startled the children in his arms. They grew quiet and looked at him. At once his face and tone softened. "I'm sorry, my babies. I'm sorry." He kissed both of them. They both leaned their heads against his shoulder, and he tightened his hold on them.

"I no longer go by that name," Vader said, glancing back up at Ahsoka.

"So I've heard," she said. "I heard the tale . . . but I . . . I didn't want to believe it. There was no way you could do those things. No way my master could be so vile—"

"I did," he said cutting her off.

She frowned growing uncomfortable. "Anakin . . . You can't be here."

"I know," he said. "But I had to see them."

Her teal eyes traveled down to the twins happily cuddling their father.

"You need to go now," she said. "Before someone sees you."

Vader took a deep breath. He could smell both of his children. It reminded him of their mother. A mother who had never held them. Had she even seen them before she grew cold and still? He stood up and picked up the children as he did so. He rested one on each hip. They both naturally curled their legs around him.

"Ashoka," he said softly. "I'm sorry."

"Anakin, I know. You were in so much pain after losing Padmé. I understand, and know that—"

A hand wrapped around Ahsoka and pinned a cloth against her face. She tried to grab at her assailant, who had come at her from behind. But the poison on the cloth was working. Ahsoka grew weak. She staggered. Her eyes rolled back into her head. Finally, she collapsed onto the cold shaded floor of the woods.

"Soka?" one of the twins said sadly.

"Soka sleep?" another one asked.

"Thank you, Barriss," Vader said looking at the young woman who now stood over Ahsoka. She had been the other caretaker for the twins. A young dyad with green skin and triangular marks across her nose and cheeks. "Let us go," Vader said as he gave one last look at Ahsoka. He turned away from her and headed into the woods with Barriss following right behind.

She followed him back to Hades and to his new palace. It was there he finally put his children down. He had prepared a sitting room with luxurious pillows and soft blankets. The two giggled and started to explore the new area. Vader turned to face his accomplice.

"I believe I owe you my thanks," Vader said in a smooth voice. "You helped me reunite with my children. Name your price."

"I want to be welcomed in Hades and become a resident," she said.

Vader nodded. She would not be welcomed back on Olympus after this. "And?" he asked.

She looked at the twins, and then back at him. "Wealth," she said. "Power."

He nodded and smiled. "And you shall have it," he said. He closed his hand and when he reopened it, it was filled with precious gems. They clattered to the floor along with gold coins. They kept pouring from his hand until he closed it again. "Take it," he said. "Go. My steward will see to your needs."

She looked at the pile of riches on the floor, and then she bent over and scooped them up into the skirt of her long chiton tunic Vader turned to his children. They had come toddling over when they heard the sound of the gems hitting the floor. Of course the shiny things had attracted their attention.

"Pretty," Leia said as she eyed a bright ruby.

Vader scooped her and her brother up and carried them over to the pillows. He sat them down. He ignored Barris as she finished collecting her payment and left.

"Here my little ones," he said softly. He closed his hand and when he reopened he had two gems in his hand. Both were large and round. One was a white opal and the other a brilliant sapphire. Luke grabbed the sapphire, and Leia the opal.

"Pretty," Leia said.

"Pretty," Luke said as well. Then he opened his mouth and bit down on it.

"No, no, no!" Vader said grabbing the stone out of Luke's hand and mouth. "Not for eating."

Luke whined. His little hands grabbing at the stone Vader had taken away from him. Leia clutched hers tighter.

"Pretty!" he cried.

Vader's hand tightened around the sapphire. It snapped and broke. When he opened his hand, fine blue dust fell out. The twins watched the dust fall down to the pillows.

"Pretty," Luke said sadly. He looked up at his father. His blue eyes were big and round. "Pretty, Dada." The baby pointed at the dust.

"There is far more where that came from," Vader said kissing Luke on the head. Creating gems and minerals was part of his new powers as god of Hades. Luke looked at Leia's opal and tried to grab at it.

"No!" she wailed. "Mine!"

"Pretty!" Luke said.

Vader sighed as he took the opal away from Leia, which caused her to start to cry. "Mine! Mine!"

Vader ground the opal into dust as well. The twins looked at him. Their faces were red and puffy. Leia's was stained with tears.

"I think it's time for some food," Vader said softly as he picked the babies up.

He brought them over to a low table by a large window. The twins wiggled in his arms as they saw the food. He gently set them down and they waddled up to the table. Leia grabbed a pomegranate. It had been cut in half and was filled with bright red seeds. She stuck her little fingers right into the fruit, scooped out some seeds, and stuck them in her mouth.

Luke had been watching her closely and grabbed the fruit out of her hand. He pulled out some seeds and ate them. Leia snatched it back from her brother and ate some more. Vader grabbed the other half of the pomegranate and offered it to Luke. He took it and ate it. Soon the twins were covered in red sticky juice.

Vader stood up and collected some water and a cloth. He returned. He took off the twin's stained clothes. Then he wiped them both down. They both yawned. Luke rubbed at his eyes. Leia crawled into her father's lap and leaned heavily against him.

"Hmm?" Vader said with a smile. "Sleepy?"

Leia only buried her head into her father's chest. Vader let out a soft chuckle. He picked her up and carried her back to the pillows. Luke toddled along after them. His steps wavered and were uneven as he fought off his tiredness. Vader laid Leia down on the pillow then picked up Luke and placed him down beside her. Her wrapped a blanket around them.

Both children looked up at him. Their eyes were blinking constantly as they fought to keep them open. But eventually sleep won. Vader sat there unmoving for a long time just watching them sleep. A small smile on his lips. He had done it. He had brought his twins to Hades. Brought them _home_.

The hairs on the back of Vader's neck stood up. He scowled. He could feel the intrusion. The first of the Olympians had arrived. He leaned over and gave each of his children a kiss. Then he walked out of the room. He paused once he was in the hallway.

"Guard them," he hissed to the shadows. The shadows stirred in response. They would not disobey him.

Vader marched down the hall. In an instant his long black robes were replaced with black armor. It covered every inch of his body. He donned a black skeletal mask and a black helm. On his hip was his sword which was stained red with the blood of mortals. In his hand, he carried a bident. Its two-prongs glowing bright red as it had been dipped into the Phlegethon.

He entered the throne room, but did not sit on his throne. Instead he waited. It wasn't that long of a wait until the first god came bursting in. Vader wasn't surprised. It was the messenger god. Wings sprouted from his ankles and from the helmet he wore. He landed in front of Vader.

"Darth Vader!" he shouted.

"Ferus," Vader said calmly.

"You shall call me by my god name," Ferus growled.

Vader said nothing. He had never gotten along with Ferus. He wasn't much older than Vader, and as such Vader had always been compared to Ferus growing up on Olympus. He always heard tales of how easier and faster Ferus had learned to be a god unlike the mortal-raised Anakin.

"What is it that you want?" Vader asked knowing full well why Ferus was here.

"Where are the children?" Ferus demanded.

Vader titled his head. "Safe," he said. "_Home_."

Ferus looked appalled. "This . . ." He looked around. "This is _not_ their home."

"It is," Vader growled. His hand settled on the hilt of his sword.

It was then the next god arrived. The god of war walked into the throne room in a wave of anger. He wasn't alone. Following behind him were several other gods including Yoda, the oldest and leader of the Pantheon Order, the ruling council of gods.

"Vader!" the god of war, Mace Windu, shouted as he marched down the throne room.

"Welcome to Hades," Vader said with a slight smirk he knew they couldn't see.

"I see you're prepared to fight," the Mace said as he drew his sword and pointed it at Vader. Mace's sword was infamous. Made from a unique purple metal. It glowed slightly, giving off a purple light.

"Hold your sword, Mace," Yoda said as he hobbled forward on his cane.

Mace lowered his sword as he looked at Yoda, the god of wisdom. Mace was a dark-skinned man with a bald head. He was a large man. Yoda was his opposite. His was small. Very small. He barely reached Vader's knees. Yoda had large pointed ears and wispy white hair. His skin was heavily wrinkled and had a green tone to it. Many wondered if he was part dyad or perhaps a mermaid or something else. As the oldest god, no one knew how Yoda had come to be. The only ones who knew were those locked away in Tartarus.

"A crime you have committed," Yoda said.

"This speech again?" Vader said.

"Return the children," Mace said.

"I will not," Vader said gripping his sword but not drawing it. His other hand tightened on his bident. "They are mine. I am their father. They shall live with me!"

"Here?" Mace said. "In the land of the _dead_? They are not gods of the underworld! They do not belong here! They shall be raised on Olympus. As is their right and proper place!"

"Their right and proper place is with me!" Vader shouted back. Then he added in a steady and low tone, "They have already eaten the food of Hades. They are bound here now."

Mace raised his sword and pointed it at Vader. "I took you down once, _boy_," he said. "I will do it again. I will unbind them and put your in your place in Tartarus!"

It had been Mace who had captured Vader during his rampage. Vader drew his own sword. "I was a different god then," Vader said. "Let's see you try again."

"Wait!"

All eyes fell on one god who stepped forward. He approached Vader's throne. His hands held out.

"We do not need to come to blows," he said.

"Kenobi," Vader hissed.

Obi-Wan paused as he looked up at Vader. His face wasn't full of anger or disgust but sadness. He was the god of negotiation, debate, and strategy. He worked heavily alongside Padm. He had also been a mentor to a godling named Anakin once. The two had been close. But that had died on the shores of the Phlegethon when Obi-Wan dueled Anakin. When Anakin had lost and fallen into the river.

"I believe we can reach an agreement," Obi-Wan said. Ferus let out a scoff. Obi-Wan shot him a look. "I agree with Ana— with Vader."

Everyone stilled in shock. Even Vader did. His sword lowered a bit as he took in Obi-Wan's words.

"What?" Vader said.

Obi-Wan looked at him. His grey-blue eyes were soft and sad, which only angered Vader.

"Luke and Leia are your children," Obi-Wan said. "And they should be with their father."

"Wait. He cannot—" Ferus started, but Obi-Wan shot him a look. Ferus silenced. Obi-Wan looked back at Vader.

"I have complete faith you will raise them well. You will see them fed and warm and educated. Right?"

"Of course," Vader said. He let the truth of his words ring out.

"Then you should raise them," Obi-Wan said.

"Kenobi," Mace said, stepping up beside Obi-Wan. "The twins cannot be raised _here_."

"Listen, we shall to Kenobi," Yoda said.

"However," Obi-Wan said looking at Mace and then over at Vader, "when the time comes for the children to take on their god names and take up their duties, they will return to Olympus."

Silence. Each god considered Obi-Wan's suggestion including Vader. It . . . It wasn't a bad deal. Vader would be able to keep his children. _For now_. That was the part he didn't like. But . . . if he didn't agree, he would have to fight the rest of Olympus. He had already lost against Mace and Obi-Wan once, and he was only fighting against one of them at a time. Could he take them both on now as the god of Hades?

"I agree," Yoda said, "with Kenobi's words."

Ferus frowned. Obi-Wan stood stoically. His face smooth and neutral. Mace walked up the steps to Vader's throne. He stood in front of Vader.

"I will agree to this," he said slowly. "But I shall add, that the twins will always be welcomed on Olympus if they ever wish to leave this place."

He sheathed his sword and held out his hand. Vader did the same.

"Then I shall add," he said, "that the children will never leave Hades on their own feet."

He held his own hand out. Mace didn't take it. His eyes had narrowed at Vader's additional terms. But then his hand came forward. Windu, god of war, and Vader, god of Hades, clasped hands and the agreement was sealed.


	5. Chapter 5

The world was rocking. Leia's head spun. She reached out for Luke, but only found a twist of blankets. No Luke. She called out. Her voice was rough and odd sounding. Her throat was dry. But there was no answer. No soft hand to clasp her own. No brush of lips against her cheek. There was no Luke.

He wasn't there.

The part of her that was Luke was gone. Tears welled in her eyes. As they rolled down her cheeks, they burned her skin. There was a hole in her. Gaping and bleeding where her brother was supposed to be. This hole was burning through her. The edges crumbling to ash, yet the inside was stone cold.

What had happened? Where had her brother gone? They were always together. Always. Even when they weren't actually by each other's side, he was still there. She could still feel him, but now no longer. Why?

Her eyes opened but the world was dark and blurry. It took some time to shed her tears. It was only then, as her breathing evened out, that she felt the rough coarse blanket she was tangled in. It smelled of animals and sweat. She kicked it off in disgust.

That was when she noticed the rest of the . . . the place she was in. It was small. Very small. Light streamed in through cracks in a single shuttered window. She was on a thin cot. She placed her feet down on the dirty mud packed floor. Her sandals had been removed and sat next to her bed. She still wore her feast outfit.

But her eyes kept going back to the light. The light . . . there was something _odd_ about it. She stood and crossed the room. It only took three steps before she stood at the window. A weathered wood shutter was closed over the window. But peeking through the cracks and holes was light. She placed her hands in the small drops that poked into the dark room. The specks danced around her skin.

It was warm. It was bright. Brighter than anything she had ever seen. What was on the other side? What kind of fire was causing this? She unlatched the shutter and pushed it open. And the world rocked. Her feet gave way, but she caught herself on the window sill. She leaned forward. Her head poking out of the window. Her mouth hung open. Because . . . Because . . .

It was light. True _light_. True sky. So much of it! It was so blue! She had seen paintings of the sky before. But that didn't compare. This was the real sky! Blue and neverending. White fluffy clouds, those were real clouds!, were scattered about! And the sun! The _sun_! Golden and warm and so amazingly bright! It hurt to look at! But she couldn't stop her smile.

She lowered her gaze away from the sky. There was so much more! Water! A river? Surely not. It stretched on and on. The sea? The ocean? It was so big. Where was the other side? It was so blue like the sky. Small boats lazed about near the shore.

She was on the land. In a house? On the land! In a village! A fishing village. It sat on a hillside next the sea. Houses made from packed mud that were bleached white from the sun were built up and down the hill.

She took a deep breath. All sorts of new smells came to her. It smelled like fish and salt and water and hair and animals, but there was something else there. A freshness she had never experienced before. Fresh air. This is what fresh air smelled like! What it _felt_ like!

She had regained her strength. She stood strongly on her legs. She had to get out there. Out into the world. The living world. This wasn't Hades. She pushed herself away from the window. She stumbled, tripping over her own feet. She pushed open the door of the room. It opened into another room. She pushed open the next door and found herself outside.

She raised her arms into the sky and danced. The sun felt good on her skin. Her hair had fallen loose from its carefully pinned affair from the feast. She shook the rest of the pins out. They lightly clinked against the dirt as they fell. She pulled the threads and gems out from her curls. Then she undid the clasps of her dress and let the fabric fall to the ground.

She felt the sun on her skin. Felt its warmth tickle her all over. The wind moved through her hair. She laughed. She couldn't help it. She had always wondered what the realms beyond Hades were like. Always looked at the entrances to the underworld with burning envy. Now she knew. Now she _knew_.

"Hey! Hey!"

It was the mortal. Han. He was running up to her. He grabbed her dress off the ground and threw it at her. She grabbed it.

"What are you doing?" he asked. His cheeks were bright red.

"Dancing," she said. "Dancing in the sunlight! Isn't it marvelous?"

"Yes," Han said he looked pointedly at the ground, "But you can't just dance around like that!"

"Like what?"

"Na-naked!" he stuttered.

Leia raised an eyebrow, but he wasn't looking. She dropped her dress to the ground and spun around.

"I thought you mortals loved showing off the naked body," she said. "You see it in all the art."

"The naked body is a beautiful thing," Han said picking up her dress again, "But your body . . ."

He held out her dress. She sighed as she took.

"My body?" she asked with a knowing smile.

"You should cover it up before one of the goddesses of love grow jealous," he murmured as his eyes traveled up and down her still bare body.

She couldn't help but laugh. "Be careful what you say, mortal," she said as she slipped her dress back on. She tied the straps around her shoulders as the golden clasps still lay in the dirt.

Han knelt over and picked up the discarded jewelry. He had changed from the muddy and stinky appearance she had last seen him in. He had clearly bathed and dressed in a new short white chiton. He still had the pouch on his belt, and Leia bet the coins were still in there weighing it down.

He finished picking up the jewelry and tried to hand them to her, but she waved him off. She decided to walk around the small courtyard of the house. It wasn't much. There were jail cells in Father's castle bigger than this courtyard. But it did hold a statue on a small altar. She approached it and at once recognized the likeness of the god of the sea.

"Fisto?" she asked.

Han walked up beside her.

"Of course," Han said.

She pursed her lips. She had been told that mortals often put a small shrine to their favorite god in their house. So this mortal had picked Fisto.

"Why him?" she asked placing her hands on her hips and turning to him. His hands were full of her jewelry.

"Why not?" he asked. He looked over his shoulder at the sparkling sea. "Everyone here has a statue to Fisto."

"Hmm I suppose that does make sense," she said softly.

She leaned forward to get a closer look at the statue. Father had commissioned artists to craft lifesize statues of all the gods. They lined a hall in his palace. When Leia was a child, he had taken her and her brother there to teach them all about the other gods. It was how she learned about them.

Han's statue was crudely made. The figure was quite blocky and lacked finer details, but it was still the god of the sea. She could make out the many braided locks of hair, the odd-shaped large eyes, and of course, the smile. Fisto was said to be quite a jovial god. Leia turned away from the statue and looked at the water.

"Are you hungry?" he asked.

She said nothing. It would not be wise to eat the food of the mortal realm. He placed the jewelry down behind the altar. He joined her looking at the village and the sea.

"It's beautiful," she said softly. "I never knew . . . I never imagined it would be like this."

"See?" Han said. "I knew you would like it."

"Can . . . can we go there?"

"Go where?"

"To the sea."

"Yeah. Sure. Why not?"

She smiled at him. He sucked in a sharp breath. Then she was off. She was out on the street making her way downhill. Han ran to catch up. She had never put her sandals on, but the dirt road was well worn though bumpy from horses and carts. They passed plenty of other houses and other mortals. Those that spotted her, stopped, and stared. A few had their mouths hang open fully gaping at her. She smiled at them.

It was interesting to see a real mortal village. To see them living their normal lives. The only mortals she had ever actually met and talked to were dead ones as the living ones her father had kept far away from her. Plus they never stayed alive for long in Hades.

Eventually they made it to the water's edge. There were lots of small fishing boats littering the shore. There were quite a lot of mortals here. Some were weaving and preparing nets. Others hauling baskets of fish out of the boats. A few chopping up the fish. But her eyes slid past them. Beyond the boats was an open part of the shore that gave access to the water. A couple of naked tanned-skinned children swam and splashed about there.

Leia ran there at once. Han shouted after her, but she soon heard him running behind her. She stopped as she came to the edge of the water. The children had all paused in their games and were watching her with large eyes. She took one step into the water.

It felt nothing like the waters of Hades. It swirled around her ankles as the waves went in and out. She noticed bits of seaweed and sand floating. She grabbed her dress and threw it on the shore. Han gave out another shout, but she had already rushed in deeper until she could dive in.

Even the sea was so full of life. The water was warm. She had bathed in underground hot springs before. But this water had been warmed by the sun. Something all waters of Hades lacked. There was something so amazing how the sunlight came through the water. The lines it created danced along the bottom of the sea. It danced along her as well. It was magic. Then there was the taste. She knew sea water tasted differently, but she was surprised at how salty it was.

She swam and swam. Whenever she popped her head out of the water, she saw Han sitting on the shore with her dress. She had asked him to come join her, but he had declined. However, the children eventually grew bold enough to approach her. Their curiosity winning over their fear. They talked her into a game of chase, which she greatly enjoyed playing with them.

Eventually Han shouted at her. He was holding something in his hands, so she finally came out of the water. He was holding two skewers of roasted fish along with a loaf of bread and some fresh fruit. She sat down on the shore beside him. She eyed the food. She was hungry after all the swimming, but she knew she could go a while without eating. Instead, she laid on the shore and let the sun dry her.

"Can you please put your clothes back on?" Han asked.

Leia groaned. "But I love the feeling of the sun."

"And all those fishermen love the look of your body," he grumbled darkly.

She picked her head up and sure enough there was a small crowd of fishermen and women watching her.

"They think you might be some sort of siren. They warned me not to go into the sea with you," he explained.

She couldn't help but laugh. Her stomach growled, which made her stop laughing. This only made Han laugh.

"Here's some food," he said, holding up a chunk of bread.

She took a long look at it. Instead of taking it, she slipped back into her dress.

"I need to go back," she said softly.

"Go back? Go back to _Hades_? Why?"

She curled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. "It is my home."

"Which I still don't get at all. Why did you live there? You are so . . . different from the rest of them."

She rested a cheek against her knees as she looked at him. "That is true," she replied, "But it is still my home. It is still where my family lives."

"Your family _lives_ there? Who lives in the underworld?"

"I do. Along with my father and brother."

"Your father, huh? Is he like you and your brother?"

She looked at his brown hair gently blowing in the sea breeze. Her own loose curls were also flitting in the wind.

"You still haven't figured it out," she said.

He frowned. "Figured what out?"

"Who my father is," she said, straightening up.

He didn't respond right away. Instead he just gave her a disapproving look. "Ok, miss high-and-mighty, I'll bite. Who's your dad?"

"Darth Vader."


	6. Chapter 6

"Darth Vader," Leia said when Han asked who her father was.

Han's brown eyes went wide. His mouth fell open. His skin paled.

"Va- Vader? Darth Vader? Your father is _Vader_?"

"Yes," she said smiling. "Why else did you think I would sit by his throne and drink from his cup?" He said nothing. "And he will be worried," she said softly. Though she knew he would be far more than that. He would be furious. "So I must go back."

"_Vader_?" Han croaked. "If you are the daughter of a god, then that makes you . . . a goddess?"

"Yes," she said. "Though technically I'm still a godling. I have yet to discover my purpose and receive my god name."

"What?"

"My purpose. How it is I will serve the three realms. What my god powers will be."

"You don't already have them?"

She laughed. "No, of course not. Could you imagine a baby godling with powers? How would they even hear mortals' prayers or even know what to do? No, we get them when we are older. Often close to when we reach adulthood. Though my mother discovered her purpose quite young. The youngest ever, so I'm told."

"Your mother? Your mother is a goddess?"

"Yes," Leia answered in a soft whisper. She didn't really want to talk about her mother, so she stood up and brushed the sand and dirt from her dress. It was crumpled. "Shall we return to your house?" she asked.

Han nodded and stood up. They walked back up the hill through the village. The stares of the mortal villagers followed them as they went. At last they made it back to the small square house. Han picked up her jewelry behind the altar. He tried to give it to her.

"You can keep it," she said.

His eyes went wide.

"My father can create piles of gold and gems from his hands. I do not need those," she explained.

She took a deep breath of the fresh air. There was a pain inside of her as she thought of leaving. There was a reluctance to leave this place. Perhaps her godly purpose was out here somewhere. But there was another part of her heart that was tight with worry about her brother and father.

She walked into the house and found her sandals still by the bed. She tied them on. Han stood by the door watching her.

"Now tell me, Han Solo," she said as she stood up. "Where is the entrance to Hades? It is time I returned."

He had crossed his arms across his chest.

"I don't think I'm going to tell you," he said.

She froze. She was perfectly still.

"_What_?" she asked.

"I said it before," he said as he stood up straight. "You don't belong down there. You are alive. You belong here. You just need to see it."

"You think I do not?" she shouted. She pointed a finger at him. "How dare a mere mortal think he knows more about me than I?"

"If you go back down there, princess, you'll never leave! You'll always use the same excuse of staying with your family and your home when you're supposed to be up here. I'm sure you are not a god of the dead."

"You do not know your place," she hissed at him. She crossed the room and jabbed her finger at his chest.

"Oh, I know my place, sweetheart. It's right here."

She growled at him. His head jerked back as his eyebrows rose at the sound, but otherwise he didn't move.

"You foolish mortal," she said. "You know _nothing_. Do you know why I asked you to dance with me at the feast? My father's feast? Because no one would dare to dance with me. No one would dare tempt my father's wrath by simply _dancing_ with me. Do you know what his anger will be like towards the mortal that kidnapped his daughter?"

"Woah! Woah!" Han said putting his hands up in the air. "I did _not_ kidnap you! I _saved_ you from that cave in!"

"I am immortal!" she shouted at him. "I would have survived it. I do not need to stay here with a nerf-herder!"

She quickly lowered herself to the ground. She raised her right hand, ready to bang it against the ground twice, but Han caught her hand before she could bring it down. She tried to yank her hand free.

"Let go of me!" she shouted.

"I know what you're trying to do!" he said. "You're trying to pray to Vader!"

"Of course I am!" she said as she stood up and pushed against him with her free hand. "I have no doubt he will hear my prayer and sweep me away from here at once. Most likely he'll drag you along too. I am sure he will quickly think of some very creative punishments for your crimes."

There was a shift in his body. An aggressive shift. He was ready for a fight, and luckily she knew how to fight. Her father had seen to it. She had trained with the best. Keres who had once been Amazon warriors. She swept her foot out and smashed it into his side. At once he let go of her hand. She spun and jumped to her feet. She leaped over him and through the doorway. He shouted after her.

In the next room she grabbed a chair. With a quick kick, she knocked a leg off. She grabbed the broken leg and held it out in front of her.

"What are you going to do with that?" Han asked. "Stab me with it?"

She narrowed her eyes. She pulled the leg back and then hurled it forward. It hit him square in the face. A satisfied smile grew on her lips as she watched him shout and bend over. She spun and dashed out of the house into the small courtyard. She ran past the altar of Fisto and into the street. She glanced up and down the street trying to decide which way to go.

She decided she would go right. There was a shift in her. She may not be a full fledged god yet, but that didn't mean she wasn't without some godly abilities. She could long travel. Her steps could carry her long distances. She felt for the world around her. The Force, her father called it. She picked up her foot and brought it forward for the first step. She could feel the world moving. She also felt the strong grip on her arm.

However, it was too late. Her foot hit the ground and she was carried instantly away from the village. She let go of the Force. She spun to see Han Solo stumbling over his feet. His eyes wide.

"What was that?" he shouted.

She grabbed his hand and threw it off of her. Now she could travel alone. She turned and . . . Gasped. The sky was . . . was . . . by the Gods. It was beautiful. She stopped. The sun was falling into the ocean. The sky was so many colors. Reds and pinks and purples and blues and oranges. She knew what a sunset was, but she had no idea this is what it truly was.

It was spectacular.

As she stood there, she noticed she stood on a cliff above the ocean. Out of the corner of her eye she could make out Han's fishing village nestled against the mountainside. She heard his footsteps as he came to stand beside her. Neither one said a thing as they simply watched the sun disappear below the waves and the sky turned to dark blue and purple. Leia sat down as she watched the stars appear.

So many had said that the cavern ceiling of the Necropolis of Hades mirrored the night sky. It did, in a way. But there was something glowing crystals and iridescent algae couldn't capture about real stars.

"It's so beautiful," she said. It was the first words that had been said in an hour if not more.

"I know," Han said softly.

She brought her knees to her chest and rested her chin on them as she watched more and more stars appear in the night sky.

* * *

Darth Vader stood on a balcony of his palace. He was not wearing his armor nor helm. He was dressed in a simple black chiton that extended down to his feet. Over it, he wore a black chlamys robe that was fastened and hung off his right shoulder. His hands were gloved in black leather. His clothing wasn't adorned with any other colors or decorations. He wore no jewelry. He wasn't even wearing sandals.

His gloved hands rested on the railing of the balcony. He looked down at the Necropolis. His palace sat on top of a large hill and the city cascaded down from it. The palace had been here when Vader became the king and god of Hades, but the city had not. Before Vader came to Hades, it was divided. Unifying it hadn't been easy. There had been hard battles, but in the end Vader was victorious. He now ruled all of Hades unopposed.

And since that time, Hades had entered an age of prosperity as it had never seen before. Vader had created government, systems and jobs. He paid the citizens. Thus culture started to bloom in the cold caverns. The city started to grow. And now, this realm could rival the other two with its art and culture.

Vader looked up at the ceiling of the massive cavern the city sat in. Pointed stalactites hung from the dark, dark rock. Thousands of iridescent rocks had been placed up there along with glowing iridescent algae. It created the illusion of the night sky filled with stars. The Necropolis was considered one of the wonders of Hades. For Vader, it could rival the wonders of the other realms as well.

Vader pushed away from the railing and turned away from his city. The room he walked into was casted in a yellow and warm light. Not the harsh light of blue fire, but the soft light of normal fire. At once he eyed the large bed against the far wall. A form laid in it covered in blankets. Only the wild blond hair was seen sticking out from covers.

Vader approached the bed and gently pulled back the covers to reveal his son. Luke's condition had not changed. His skin was white and cold to the touch. There was a blue tint to his lips and the skin around his eyes. The boy was currently sleeping soundly. His chest rising and falling in an even rhythm. But what worried Vader was Luke had yet to wake since his sister was taken. He leaned over and brushed the gold hair from Luke's forehead.

"Luke," he whispered. He pleaded. "Luke. Open your eyes. Please, Luke."

Nothing. Vader frowned. He kissed his son's forehead and pulled the covers back up. He clasped his hands behind his back and left the room. He made his way through his palace's grand halls and out into the cold dark city. But soon, the lights and fires of the city faded away as he walked through the tunnels of the underworld.

Traveling was different for a god. Their steps were able to carry them places faster. They had duties to perform and couldn't be limited by distance and time. They could, if they wished, travel normally. But Vader did not do that now. He didn't want to be gone from his palace for long. Away from Luke's side.

Soon, he found himself in another large cavern. A gentle river of stunningly clear water flowed at his feet. Specks of gold glinted in the rocks in the water. But Vader was not looking at those. His attention was focused on what lay across the river. It took him only one step to cross the waters and be on the other shore. This side was vastly different than the cold dreary place he had come from. There was no other place like this in Hades.

The Elysium Fields was a place of paradise for mortal souls. It was saved for those related to the gods such as half-mortal demigods. The place felt like the mortal realm. A false sun moved across an illusion of a blue sky. Soft green grass grew amongst shady trees and flowers. Small lakes and gentle brooks flowed throughout the meadows. Not even the Garden of a Thousand Fountains on Olympus compared to the serenity Elysium had. It was truly a place of peace.

Vader moved slowly here. The souls were easy to startle, and he did not wish to distress them. They mostly appeared as small glowing balls in shades of blue and white. They floated gently amongst the flowers or hovered under trees. If Vader stopped and was still and quiet, the souls would slowly take shape of the mortals they once were.

He had a specific place in mind. A secluded pond surrounded by tall grass and bushes. Lily pads filled up one corner of the water. A smooth boulder sat nearby. It was here Vader sat down and waited. He wasn't sure how long he sat there, but eventually he felt a slight coolness brush against his hand. He looked down to see a pale glowing transparent hand resting on top of his black gloved one. He followed the hand up to see a soul sitting next to him.

"Mom," he said in a soft whisper.

Shmi looked at him and smiled. She looked as Vader remembered her. When he was a young boy being raised in the desert by a slave woman. He was glad she didn't look like she had upon her death by the Tusken raiders.

"Ani," she said. Her voice barely more than a whisper.

Vader's first act as god of the dead had been to find his mortal mother's soul. He had debated on bringing her to his palace, but she was nothing more than a gentle shade. There was no anger in her. No burning desire or business left undone. Thus she couldn't transform into another creature of the dead. In his palace, she would be nothing more than a little floating ball. Plus she was happy and at peace here. And as long as that was so, Vader was content for his mother stay here.

"You are sad," she said.

"I am worried," he said. "About my children."

His mother smiled. He did not go into details. He need not worry her or upset her eternal rest.

"How old are you now?" she asked.

Vader sighed, but she gave him a clear look. A look only his mother could give him.

"I am past four and a half centuries," he said.

She let out a soft chuckle. "Four hundred and fifty years and some things do not change." He tilted his head. "Parents still fret over their children."

He couldn't help but smile. She sighed as she looked across the pond.

"They worry about you too, you know," Shmi said.

"And how would you know that?"

"They visit me," she said with a playful smirk.

"Those two little . . ." Vader grumbled.

"They worry because they love you. Just as you do to them," his mother said. "Tell me, when was the last time you told them you loved them?"

"I . . ." he had to pause. When was the last time?

"Make sure you tell them. They may know it. They may feel it. But it is always good to hear it."

Vader sighed and shook his head. "Four hundred and fifty years and my mother still manages to mother me," he said softly.

Coldness pressed against his face as Shmi pressed her immaterial hand against her son's cheek.

"I love you, Ani," she said.

"I know, mom. I love you too."

She smiled. Then slowly her human form melted away. Only a small floating ball of light blue light bobbed next to him.

"It's fine," he said. "Go. I'll come see you again."

The light wavered a second more, before it floated away. He looked out at the pond and fought back his emotions. His eyes were watery. He needed to collect himself. He had to be the dreaded king of the underworld. Not a son who still mourned the loss of his mother centuries dead.


	7. Chapter 7

Once Darth Vader left Elysium, he did not return to his palace. Instead, he made his way into the depths of Hades to a very deep and hidden chamber. It was well guarded with all sorts of beasts. No one was allowed here. No one knew of its existence. Not even his children knew of this place, the tomb of their mother.

It was a large circular chamber. Marble columns circled around the perimeter. Beyond them gentle waterfalls trickled down into a shallow pool that lined the whole room. White marble flooring gave way to a field of small white flowers. They completely surrounded the open sarcophagus. It was made from the finest of marble. Funerary friezes adorned the sides showing off the goddess Amidala.

They showed her in her finery. They showed her blindfolded holding up scales. They showed her standing next to another young god. Their heads bowed. Their hands clasped. A lake behind them. It showed her with a swollen stomach and two little ones at her feet.

He stepped onto the soft flowers and made his way slowly to the sarcophagus. There was no lid, so he placed his hands on the sides of the casket. And there she was. She laid with her hands on top of each other below her breasts. She was dressed in a deep blue chiton dress with a blue cloak around her shoulders. Though blue wasn't the best way to describe it. The blue shifted shades and tones. Sometimes it was green other times a bit more purple. It was as if she was wearing the ocean.

Her brown hair splayed out from her head. White flowers and white ribbons were laced into the curls. Her skin was as pale as the marble in her tomb. Her eyes were closed. Her chest did not rise. She was still. Cold. Lifeless.

Vader pulled off the glove on his left hand. He brushed his knuckles against her cold cheek. "Padmé," he softly whispered. The sarcophagus was filled with golden nectar. Her curls floated in the liquid. Flowers floated all along her sides.

As always, the old pain started to flare up. Sharp needles dug into his heart. His body grew numb. He could barely feel her cold skin under his knuckles. He withdrew his hand and pulled his glove back on. With the pain and grief and loss of his wife came the hatred. Came the pure burning rage.

_Sheev Palpatine_.

There was a special place in Hades Vader had prepared for that scum. He had all sorts of hunters from the underworld looking for that man. He had placed a large bounty should Palpatine ever be brought to him. The man's soul had yet to enter Hades even after all these years. It looked like he had gained immortality with the ichor from Padmé's heart, which was still missing from her chest.

That was fine. Let Palpatine have his immortality. Vader had no qualms of torturing that man for all eternity when he finally got his hands on him. Oh, the plans Vader had made. Palpatine would scream for the release of death for hundreds of years.

But Vader didn't have him _yet_. Palpatine was still loose in the mortal realm, which was where Vader's daughter was. He frowned. What if Palpatine got his hands on Leia? What if he took her from Vader too? What about Luke? The pain inside him doubled as he realized how much Luke looked like his mother. Cold. White. Still.

_No_. Vader could not fail his children like he had his wife. He had to find Leia. He had to bring her home and keep her safe. He would wake Luke up.

And what if she didn't want to come back?

The thought slithered through him like ice. It was a deep seated fear of his that when his children finally gained their godhood, they would leave Hades and never return. Vader knew his children were not meant for the underworld. They sang with life. They yearned for the realms above them, though they themselves didn't realize it. Growing up they loved stories of the mortal realm. They were fascinated with paintings of blue skies and green grass. Perhaps it wasn't so odd to learn they had been spending time in Elysium.

Vader was glad he added the stipulation that the twins could never leave his realm on their own feet. If they could, he was sure they would have tried to sneak out by now. In fact he was sure they had tried it before. The land of life called to them. Whatever gods they would become, it would be up there amongst the living.

Vader knew that that time was fast approaching. They were technically adults now, though Vader still treated them as children. How could he not? They were still so young in the grand scheme of immortality. But sooner or later the time would come when they would hear the call of their duty. They would be gifted a god name. There was no escaping that pull of duty. It compelled the gods. It could be ignored for a bit of time, but eventually the compulsion was too great. Only those with great wills could ignore it for long periods.

The pull of Hades and the dead was much stronger than the pull Vader had when he was the god of heroes. Death was never ending. Always demanding his attention. Even now he could feel the pull to check on his palace and the dead. To make sure the underworld was running smoothly.

He sighed as he looked at his wife. He leaned over and kissed her cold marble lips. Then he kissed them again always hoping she would kiss him back. That he would sense life inside of her. But it was the same as always. Before tears could build up in his eyes, he straightened up and left the tomb. He buried the old self away. The little Ani of a mortal woman. The husband of a goddess. He had to return to being the god of the dead and king of Hades.

* * *

Han watched Leia as she stared wide eyed up at the sky. Her own eyes were like the stars. They sparkled and moved like the night sky. He wasn't surprised she had given up her fight. That she had sat down to marvel at the simple beauty of the world. Of the _living_ world. Why did she want to go back to Hades? It was a place made of nightmares. This was where such a being as her belonged.

The air was growing colder and Han shivered. He looked at the village. Golden lights appeared in the windows. He was a bit confused on how he had gotten here. One moment they were in the street outside of his house, and now they were on a cliff overlooking the whole village.

He turned back to look at her. She said her father was Darth Vader, the god of the underworld. She had briefly mentioned her mother was a goddess, but hadn't named her. To Han's knowledge, Vader wasn't married. That didn't mean much to a god. There were plenty of stories of promiscuous gods, married or not. Seeing her now with stars in her eyes, the sun's glow still lingering on her skin, he believed it. She was a goddess.

A goddess of what, Han didn't know. Usually god children had similar powers to that of their god parents. Such as Maul and Savage were the god brothers of fear and terror. They were the sons of Windu, god of war, and Talzin, goddess of magic. So why wasn't Leia more like the beings of the underworld? Shouldn't she be a goddess that connected to Hades and death? Yet Luke and Leia just didn't fit in with the dead. Perhaps they took after their mother?

The wind off the ocean was biting and growing colder. Leia seemed unaffected, but Han longed for a fire and a warm cloak. He looked back over at the village, and noticed it had gone completely dark. That was odd. Usually there were always some fires burning throughout the night. The wind whipped by him and a scream was carried on it.

Then there was another and another. He stood up as he looked at the village. He was sure the screams were coming from there. But he saw no movement in the shadows of the buildings. Leia placed a hand softly on his arm causing him to jump. Her eyes were on the village as the sounds of screams and shouts grew louder and louder. Her hand gripped his arm tighter.

"What is happening?" he asked in a whisper.

She said nothing, but she was tense. Her whole body was on edge. He could feel her taut muscles. She her straining to stay still. The screaming, shouting, and crying didn't stop. It continued.

"Your village is being attacked," Leia finally said.

"Attacked? By who? I don't see anyone!"

"Quiet your voice," a new voice said.

Both Leia and Han jumped and spun around. Behind them stood a woman carrying a white staff. She was dressed in a long brown cloak that completely covered her. The hood was pulled up. Han could still see her tan skin with white tattoos.

"Who are you?" Leia asked.

"I am Ahsoka," the woman replied as she walked over. She stopped on the other side of Leia. She looked at the village.

"Do . . . Do I know you?" Leia asked.

Ahsoka was tall. Taller than Han. She looked down at Leia and smiled.

"I watched over you when you were but a babe on Olympus," Ahsoka said.

"Olympus? I never lived on Olympus."

At once Ahsoka's face fell into a frown. "You did," she said softly. "You were born in the mortal realm, and brought to Olympus. I . . . I was once your father's apprentice. Before he became who he is now."

Before Vader became what he is now? What did that mean?

"He tasked me with watching you and your brother," she continued. "After he fell, the other gods allowed me to keep watch. Until you father returned to Olympus and stole you away."

"My father did not steal me!" Leia snapped.

"I see Vader has told you none of this," Ahsoka replied dryly. "He did steal you. I was thrown out of Olympus for my failing to keep you there."

"So that's why you are in the mortal realm," Leia said.

"But why are you here?" Han asked. Was this Ahsoka a god as well? She didn't seem to be a god. Not like Leia. Perhaps a demi-god?

"Hades is restless," Ahsoka said. "There are rumors that Vader's daughter is in the mortal realm . . ."

Ahsoka's teal blue eyes stared directly at Leia. After a moment, they looked out towards the dark village.

"As the rumor goes, Vader has promised a reward to any who returns his daughter to him. It appears the dead have tracked you down to this village."

There was a sound of a sharp breath as Leia turned back to the village.

"Wait . . . what?" Han asked.

Ahsoka looked right at him. "How did a mortal such as yourself managed to break in and out of Hades along with kidnapping Vader's daughter?" she asked.

"I did not kidnap her!"

Ahsoka raised an eyebrow. "Well your name is known to Vader as the one who took his precious daughter. That is why death has come to your village."

"He knows your name . . ." Leia said softly. She still looked at the village.

"What?" he asked.

This time she turned to him. The stars had faded out from her eyes. Her skin wasn't glowing as much as it had before.

"He knows your name," Leia repeated. "Luke . . . Luke must have told him. Oh Han . . . I am so sorry."

"Sorry? Sorry for what?"

"Vader is hunting you down, boy," Ahsoka said. "He has placed a bounty on your head. Do you understand? The god and king of the underworld is a powerful being. He can grant untold riches. He can allow one to freely leave Hades. To live again. To gain Vader's favor is a powerful thing."

The three fell silent, but the air was still filled with the whistling wind and the dying shouts of the villagers.

"I'll go back," Leia said. "I'll return to Hades at once."

Ahsoka sighed and glared at Leia. "You think that will stop your father's thirst for revenge? He won't stop."

"But I can convince him!" Leia said. "Han didn't kidnap me! He was only trying to save me!"

Han couldn't help but smile a little. Leia might put up a tough act of a cold goddess. She might claim she would gladly see him dragged away and punished for eternity, but that wasn't really her. She was the woman who had asked to a feast and to dance. Who stopped and stared at the sunset. Who spent all day swimming in the ocean.

"Leia," Ahsoka said softly. "It matters not. This mortal took you out of Hades. Took you away from your father. The reason behind it doesn't matter."

A cold dread was building up inside of Han.

"Is there nothing I can do?" Leia asked. Her voice was shaky.

"Yes," Ahsoka said. There was a slight smile on her lips. Han didn't like it. "We can go to Olympus. The dead cannot enter there."

"Neither can mortals!" Leia said.

"Mortals can enter if they have the gods' favor," Ahsoka said. "And that this dear mortal already has, for he has freed you from Hades. A task the gods themselves failed to do when your father first stole you."


	8. Chapter 8

"We'll need a ship," Han said.

Leia and the strange woman looked at him. Leia looked uncomfortable.

"What's wrong with walking?" she asked.

"What . . . you want to _walk_ to Olympus?"

"Gods are able to longstep," Ahsoka said calmly. "It allows them to travel great distances quickly."

Was that what had happened earlier? How one second he was at his house and the next he was here on a cliff?

"But the mortal is right," Ahsoka said. "We will need a ship."

Leia shrunk in on herself a bit.

"I have a ship," Han said.

Both women looked at him. Ahsoka glanced over at the village.

"It wasn't down there was it?" she asked.

"No," he said. "My ship is at Coronet. My partner is watching over it. It's the fastest ship around."

Ahsoka nodded. "It will do," she said as if she was settling. As if there were faster and better ships out there. There weren't.

"I still don't see why it has to be a ship," Leia said softly.

"Got something against sailing, princess?" Han asked her.

"I just . . . Have never been on one," she said. She looked back at the ocean. "It just seems so . . . large. The ocean that is."

It was comical that a goddess was afraid of anything, but then again the ocean wasn't something to take lightly. It could be quite fearsome.

"You may not be aware, Leia," Ahsoka said, "but we are currently on the island of Corellia. We have to cross the sea to get to Olympus. But first follow me. I have shelter where we can rest for the night. It would unwise to travel out in the open on this night."

The screams of the village had died away, but in their place was weighted silence. Leia grabbed Han's hand and nodded at Ahsoka. Her hand was smooth and warm. Han squeezed it and flashed her a smile.

* * *

Darth Vader, god and king of Hades, sat at a large table. It could host a dozen guests. Food was piled high on plates and platters enough for such a party. However, there was only one person seated at the table. Vader. The food was untouched. He had no appetite.

His fingers drummed against the table. The sun was now rising in the mortal realm and still his daughter had not been found. His face stretched into a frown. His biggest hope was that she would have been found during the night. The minions of Hades could roam easier without the blasted sun out. Yet she was still lost and his son's condition had not changed.

Vader didn't turn as he heard the approach of feet. Sharp strong steps echoed across the vast chamber. They stopped by his chair. He heard the rustle of armor as the person bowed.

"My lord Vader," they greeted.

"Galen," Vader said without turning to look at the young god. "What news?"

Galen was the god of death. His job was to ferry the dead souls to Hades. He stepped up to the table and placed down a small collection of jewelry. Vader picked up a slender gold chain strand. A blue sapphire hung from it. He recognized it as the jewelry Leia had worn to the feast. Finally, he looked at Galen.

The young god wore his dark hair shorn short. His dark eyes were on Vader. He stood up straight, but he was stiff. Alert.

"That was found in a small fishing village on Corellia," Galen explained. "It was where the mortal Han Solo lived. However neither he nor your daughter were located there."

Vader's hand tightened around the gem. He felt it breaking and crumbling. He opened his hand and gold and blue glittery dust fell onto the table.

"They could not have gone far," Vader growled. "Not without a ship."

"And if they did have a ship?"

Vader glared up at Galen. The seas were the domain of Kit Fisto. Vader had little power there. If Leia was at sea . . . there was a chance she could get the attention of Kit. The attention of Olympus. Vader scowled, but then he realized something.

"Have someone watch the ports at Coruscant," he said. "As well as the road to Olympus."

There was a small flinch to Galen, but he nodded and left. Vader would much rather his daughter be in Olympus than the mortal realm. At least she would be safe there from the dangers of mortals, but . . . that would also mean she would be amongst those scum gods who no doubt would weave magnificent lies to keep her away from her home and family.

Vader stood up and walked out of the room. He walked silently through the halls with his hands clasped behind his back. He entered Luke's room and walked over to his son. He brushed the soft golden hair from Luke's far too pale face. If Leia went to Olympus . . . They would never let her return to Hades. Even if Vader explained Luke's condition. The Order would say that Luke should come to Olympus too. Vader could go to Olympus to get her himself, but he couldn't stay there long. He could never leave the underworld for great lengths. And all the other gods knew this. It would be easy to hide his children and keep them apart.

A pain grew in Vader's heart. He couldn't lose his children. They were all he had after he lost Padmé. Like his wife, he already he missed the warmth of his children. He missed their laughter filling his palace. Vader wanted that back.

He would get it back. He would _not_ lose his family.

* * *

Leia sipped some fresh water from a small jug. Her stomach rumbled. She had been in the mortal realm a full day and still had yet to eat. She could still bear the hunger, but knew eventually it would become too much. The hunger wouldn't kill her. Gods didn't die. Even if they didn't have nectar and ambrosia. Those confined in Tartarus were given none, and yet they still lived.

For example there was Darth Revan, who like Leia's father bore the title Darth. It meant a fallen god. A god who was punished for crimes against the three realms. Revan had stolen fire from Olympus and granted it to the humans. While in the mortal realm, Revan taught the humans mathematics, agriculture, science and medicine. Angered that Revan was sharing the knowledge of the gods with mortals, the gods had captured him and chained him to a rock. His body was cut up to expose his liver. Where each day it was pecked at and eaten by an eagle. Each night the liver would regrow due to Revan's immortality so the eagle could feast anew the next day. Revan was given no nectar to drink or ambrosia to eat. In fact, Leia was sure he was gifted no subsistence. That would be too kind.

She leaned against the railing on the quarter deck of Han's ship, the _Millennium Falcon_. They had stayed the night in a cave. There Ahsoka provided Leia with fresh clothes. They were white and simple. Easier to blend in with than the feast chiton she had been wearing. Upon daybreak, they had made for Coronet. Leia had been taken aback at how large a human city could be. It was still small compared to the grand Necropolis of Hades, but there was a grandeur about it. There was warmth and life there that nothing in Hades could replicate.

Leia wished they could have stayed longer. The city was just starting to wake up, but Ahsoka and Han hurried her along to the docks where Han's ship was anchored. It was there they met Han's crew. Han's partner was surprisingly a Wookiee.

Leia knew of the great tall furry creatures that hailed from the ancient forests of Kashyyyk. Wookies were very long living creatures, but they were mortal and as such they did come to Hades in the afterlife. However, Leia had only ever seen one or two of the creatures in her life. Luke had once asked their father why this was.

"_They do not linger_," Father had said. "_They move through their journey in the afterlife rather fast compared to humans. When they die, most accept death with open arms so they have no regrets once here. They do not change into creatures of the undead._"

What had been surprising to Han, was that Ahsoka and the Wookie knew each other. Ahsoka had saved a young Chewbacca the Wookie from slavers.

In private, Ahsoka had told Leia, "_I was an acolyte of Skywalker, god of Heroes. I was to help mortals become heroes, but sometimes they needed a show of heroics to get inspired by_." Ahsoka smiled at the thought.

Currently, Ahsoka was arguing with Han on the lower deck.

"We are not changing the course," Han said.

"This is a faster way to Coruscant," Ahsoka said.

"It's also a more dangerous way. There is a reason why everyone takes _this_ route," he said.

"What are you afraid of Han Solo?" she said. "I thought you boasted earlier you had made the Kessel Run at twelve knots."

"The Kessel Run is dangerous because of the hidden reefs, shoals, and jagged rocks. You're wanting to take us through the Core of the Sea. Do you know what's in there? Whirlpools, storms, and sea monsters."

"Yes, I am aware. But if we have a guide, we can get through it safely and more importantly get to Coruscant faster."

"A guide? What guide? _You_?"

"Of course not me. We'd have to make a quick stop," Ahsoka said.

The argument continued. Leia did not understand the guttural language of the Wookies, but it appeared Chewbacca was siding with Ahsoka much to Han's annoyance.

"Fine!" he shouted throwing his hands up in the air. He marched away from them and up the stairs to join Leia on the quarter deck. "They're going to smash my ships to pieces."

"You should trust Ahsoka," Leia said. "She was an acolyte of Skywalker."

Han paused. "Skywalker? The god of heroes? Isn't he gone?"

Leia squeezed the water jug tighter. "Gone?" she asked.

"He disappeared," Han said with a shrug. "He stopped doing whatever it is gods do. Giving blessings. Helping mortals. Prayers have gone unanswered. Sacrifices are unrewarded. The old priests and priestesses say the Age of Heroes is gone. It died with the Great War."

He leaned against the railing beside her.

"There used to be a statue of him in Coronet. As a kid I would always look up at it and pray to him. It's gone now. The people tore it down in their anger when their prayers were never answered." He paused as he looked at her. "Do you know what happened?" He glanced over at Ahsoka. "I bet she knows."

"He committed a great crime," she whispered.

Han looked back over at her. He raised an eyebrow. Her father had never told Leia of his past. She had learned that through the whispers of the dead. All of Hades knew of Vader's transgression against Olympus and the mortal realm. Once, she and her brother had snuck into the depths of Hades. They found the massacred souls of the mortals their father had slain. Vader had locked them away in special part of the underworld. The twins were shocked at how many there were. They weren't just soldiers or men. They were women and children too.

When they returned to their father after that, they tried to ask him what had happened. He only grew angry and told the children to never bring it up again. Leia knew of her father's deeds, but did not know why. What had caused him to lash out against the mortals? She didn't know. She looked over at Ahsoka. _Did_ she know?

"So, what do you think, princess?" Han asked changing the subject. She had been lost in her thoughts. She blinked up at him. "About sailing? The sea? As terrifying as you thought it would be?"

She looked out at the blue waves that expanded for as far as she could see in any direction.

"No," she said. She looked back at Han and smiled. There was a slight jerk of his head as looked a bit startled. "There is always fear of the unknown," she continued. "I have only heard tales of the sea. Usually it is filled with storms and high waves and monsters and the wrath of Fisto. Usually these stories were told to me by the dead who perished amongst the waves."

"There are those things," he said. "But this is what it mostly is. The water, the wind, and the boat."

"Your boat is quite interesting," she said as she turned around and leaned her back against the railing.

She looked down at the lower deck. Ahsoka and Chewbacca stood on the gangway. On either side were ten oars; however, there were no rowers. The oars were attached to metal mechanisms that pulled and pushed the oars themselves. Han taught her that word, mechanisms. The ship had been crafted by Drallig, the god of blacksmiths and craftsmen, in a collaboration with Nu, a goddess of wisdom and crafts.

"I'm surprised," Leia said, "you haven't faced the wrath of the gods for stealing it."

"I didn't steal it," Han said. "I _won_ it."

"So you say," she said, leaning towards him. He leaned in towards her. "But gods often don't see it that way."

"How do gods see it?" he said in a low voice. His eyes were lidded. Her cheeks burned red.

"Trickery," she said as she stood up straight and walked to the edge of the quarter deck.

Ahsoka and Chewbacca were not alone on the gangway. Standing on the foredeck were two creations known as droids. Like the oars, they were mechanisms made of metal. However, they had been crafted to be sentient. One was named R2-D2. He was a small round droid made of silver metal and painted with blue designs. The other droid was known as C-3PO. He was human in shape and size, but completely gold. Though both droids were now tarnished and dented.

Vader had told his daughter of droids. The way he spoke of them, it was with a sense of yearning and wondering. Both little Luke and Leia had loved these stories. They had begged their father to always tell them more. Begged him to let them see a real working droid.

R2-D2 acted as the navigator of the ship. He had been blessed by Koon, god of travelers and journeys. Han had a small statue of him on the ship so he could pray for safe return to habors. C-3PO was a bit of a mystery to Han. He didn't know which god had helped make him. Perhaps it had been Nu or maybe Yoda, for the droid could speak any language. Though Leia just couldn't see Yoda creating a droid. Then again, she only knew of the oldest god from stories told to her. Not that she knew him in person.

But . . . would she soon meet him? And all the other gods? They were going to Olympus, the home of the gods and the immortal heavens. And the home of her parents, especially her mother. She knew about her father but her mother? Padmé? Amidala, the goddess of justice? She knew so little.

Her father did talk of her, but only rarely. Even then it was always about the small moments between the two. The soft loving moments. The happy ones, her father could bear to share through his heartbreak. She had gone through a phase when she first became a young adult. She wanted to know more about her mother. She had scoured Hades for any information on her, but found there wasn't much.

There were tales of Amidala serving justice. There were even a few statues of her, including the very impressive life-sized one in the hallway of gods in Vader's palace. Vader had commissioned a detailed statue of each of the gods to teach his children about them. He never lingered at the statue of Amidala. He would almost always skip over it in their lessons. But when he thought the children weren't watching, Leia noticed he would look back at the statue. His face full of sadness.

Yet Leia wanted to know about her mother. What was she like? Beyond of course just being a goddess. Perhaps she could finally find out. She could share with her brother when she did return home.

Luke . . . Oh how her heart hurt when she thought of him. She wished he was here. He had always longed to go to the mortal realm. To sail on a ship such as this. He had always hoped that perhaps he would become a god of travel, just so he could see the whole world. There was such a yearning there, Leia always prayed her brother's wish would come true.

How interesting that the fates had decided it would be Leia to venture from their cavernous home first. She knew Luke was back in the palace waiting for her return in jealousy. But it wouldn't all be malice he held for her. That wasn't Luke. He would be jealous because he had missed out, but happy that she was able to have this experience. Hopefully one day Luke would get to experience this too.


	9. Chapter 9

The sun was starting to lower as they came upon an island. It was small and mainly made of sharp jagged rocks. A few scraggly trees and bushes grew there. Han frowned as his approached.

"I have a bad feeling about this," he grumbled.

There was a natural harbor where they anchored the boat. Leia looked out wide-eyed at the island. The water in the cove was blue and clear. She recalled swimming in the waters by Han's village's beach. How she wished to strip herself of her chiton and dive into the water here, but she wasn't sure how she would get back on the boat afterwards. So for now she just looked longingly at the gentle waves.

Ahsoka walked up on to the quarter deck. "You will have to stay here," she said to Han.

"And why is that?" he said crossing his arms.

"To put it simply, you're a man," she said. Han only gaped. Before he could argue, Ahsoka continued. "You won't be welcome here. Best to stay with the boat." She turned to Leia. "Shall we go?"

"Wait, wait, wait!" he said grabbing Leia's arm. "It's not safe for me, but it's perfectly fine for her to go?"

Ahsoka said nothing. She only glared. Leia stepped forward and Han's hand slid off of her.

"You're just going to trust her just like that?" Han said.

"I could make that same argument about you," Leia said a bit bitterly. "Weren't you the one claiming I should stay in the mortal realm? That I didn't belong in Hades? Is that not the same? Asking me to trust you?"

He pursed his lips, but said nothing else. Ahsoka gave an approving nod, and the two disembarked from the ship in a small rowboat. They soon made it to the rocky shallow beach. They pulled the boat ashore and quickly were making their way along a well worn thin path that twisted through the rocks.

"So why is this place safe for me but not Han?" Leia asked as she looked around not seeing anything dangerous.

Ahsoka said nothing. She led them on until they reached the side of a cliff. There was a jagged opening between two slabs of rock. It reminded Leia of home. Of the endless tunnels of Hades. There was a small pull on her heart as she realized she missed it. But she didn't falter in her steps. She followed Ahsoka unwaveringly into the dark tunnel. What could possibly be lurking in this tunnel that she hadn't seen in the underworld?

The answer was a large open cavern with a series connecting pools of water. The water glowed. It casted dancing lines all along the cavern walls and ceilings. All around the pools were buildings. Many were simple wooden structures with bright colored fabric being used as walls and roofs. It was a whole small town, which was filled with women. Only women. Some lingered in the pools. Some lounged on the rocks. Some were in their small homes. Some were preparing food while others watched children. A group closest to Leia were braiding each other's hair.

As she approached, she noticed that many were not human. She easily recognized the blue and green tints to their skin. The shimmer of scales.

"Are all of these . . ." Leia said softly to Ahsoka.

"Mermaids?" Ahsoka said as she smiled back at Leia. "Some are sirens and naiads. A few are humans."

The women were all beautiful. They varied in body types. Some plump and round, some thin and tall, some were young and childlike while others were older and matronly looking. But each was beautiful. They eyed Ahsoka and Leia cautiously. A few frowned. One or two nodded at Ahsoka with tight lipped smiles. They gave Leia curious glances.

Ahsoka led them past the pools to an entrance in the wall that was draped with a white fabric. She pulled the fabric aside and entered. Inside was a decent sized cave. Pallets laid on the floor where several women laid on them. Leia realized this was a healing place. She noted many of the women were injured. Large gashes ran down their bodies or lashes across their backs. One mermaid had a crude large hook in her fin. One woman was heavily pregnant. Ahsoka moved pass them to another doorway covered in fabric.

It was a small room and there was only one woman in here. Her back was to them as she stood over a table. The table was filled with jugs and bowls of various medicinal plants, dried insect parts, and liquids.

"Hello Rig," Ahsoka said.

The woman turned around. Leia had a hard time placing what species the woman was. Perhaps she was a mix of something like Ahsoka. Rig had yellow-green skin. Her lips and eyelids were a teal color. Surrounding her face were thick striped horns. They encased her head like hair. They were short and ended at her chin. She was dressed in a strange short gray tunic. She wore a metal belt at her waist.

"Ahsoka," Rig said with a soft smile. "It has been quite a while."

Ahsoka nodded her head. Leia looked at the two women. Ahsoka appeared to be a mix of something with horns. She had two white ones that came out of her white hair. Perhaps satyr? Was Rig the same? The yellow-green skin spoke of perhaps being part nyad or nymph or even a mermaid or siren.

Rig's eyes fell on Leia. "And who is this?" she asked. Her voice was always steady and calm.

"This is Leia," Ahsoka said. "Leia this is Rig Nema. I was hoping you could help us."

"Why else would you have come to Anthemoessa?" Rig said. "What aid do you seek? You may not be able to find it here."

"I seek a guide through the Core," Ahsoka said. "I'm bound to Olympus. I would like to get there as fast as possible."

"Olympus? You are not welcomed there."

"I am taking Leia there."

Rig's light golden eyes fell on Leia. "There is a light to her. She is not mortal. A god?"

"Godling," Ahsoka corrected. "She is the daughter of Skywalker and Amidala."

For the first time, Rig's face changed expression, but even then it was slight. Her eyes widened. "One of the lost twins," she said softly. "One of the ones _you_ lost. Now you seek to return her to Olympus. Are you trying to regain you spot in the heavens?"

"Is it wrong to try and fix my mistake?" Ahsoka said a bit defensively as she crossed her arms.

Leia was quiet. What had Rig meant when she said that Ahsoka was the one that had lost Leia? When Leia had first met Ahsoka, Ahsoka had mentioned Vader had stolen Leia and Luke from Olympus. What had happened when Leia was a baby?

Rig turned to Leia. "Do you wish to go to Olympus?" she asked.

"Yes- yes," she said.

"Very well," Rig said. "I will find you a guide, but not for _you_." She looked pointedly at Ahsoka. "But for her." She looked back at Leia.

Leia and Ahsoka returned to open cavern village while Rig went to locate a guide. The two sat on a rock near one of the glowing pools earning stares from the villagers.

"Who is she?" Leia asked.

"Rig? She is an acolyte of Vokara," Ahsoka replied, but then quickly added, "Che. Goddess of medicine."

Leia was well versed in the gods and their birth and god names. However, she chose not to interrupt Ahsoka.

"She was like I was. Going forth into the mortal realm to help the goddess. She lives here and tends to the women of the water. Mermaids, sirens, and naiads. Those who have been injured whether from beast or man."

"If she is an acolyte of Che, that means she is welcomed on Olympus," Leia said slowly.

Ahsoka sighed. "Yes. Though I do not think she goes there often."

"You miss it," Leia said. It wasn't a question, but a statement.

Ahsoka looked out longingly at the glowing pools. "Yes," she said after a moment. "Nothing in the mortal realm compares. There is a sense of peace there. Tranquility."

Leia let out a huff. "Really? From all the stories I've heard, I expect it to be filled with bickering gods who can't decide who's better than the other and gossip of who is sleeping with who."

Ahsoka laughed. "There is that," she said. "It appears I need not worry about you. You will handle yourself well."

* * *

It was night when Han saw the small boat returning. However, there were now three people in the boat. This new person must be their guide. Ahsoka climbed aboard the Falcon first followed by Leia and lastly there was . . .

"_Sana_?" Han said.

"I thought I recognized this ship," Sana said. It _was_ her. Han scowled.

"This is our guide? _Her_?" he asked as he waved his hand at her.

"You two have a history?" Ahsoka asked.

"We've . . . worked together before," Sana said.

Sana was a brown-skinned human. Her black hair was braided into locks. She dressed in a dark tunic with dark leather armor on top. A bright green sash wrapped around her neck. She carried a sword on her belt and short bow and quiver on her back.

"You couldn't find anyone better?" Han said as he waved a hand at her. "That's who was living on that rock? Though I'm not surprised for a snake like you."

Sana glared at him. He swore her pupils flashed into slits for a moment, but then she smiled. A horrible devilish smile. One that he felt would have fit right in in Hades.

"Sssnake?" she teasingly hissed as she walked over to him. She placed a hand on his chest. "What a charming compliment, Han. You always had a way with words. Volt Cobra remembers that too."

Han became stiff. His muscles locked in place. Sana winked as she walked over to the side of the ship. She whistled. It was high pitched and carried clear into the night air. Only his eyes moved to the dark waters. It took a moment, but eventually he saw the water parting as something approached. Leia gasped as she walked over to the edge. Her eyes big and a smile on her face.

The trail of waves stopped right next to the boat. A large serpent head raised out of the water. Sharp spikes came out of its head on either side. A spiny dorsal fin started at the head and ran down its back. Dark green and blue scales glistened in the moonlight. It opened its mouth showing off its pointed teeth. It let out a hiss.

"Volt!" Sana said happily. "You remember Han, don't you?"

Yellow silted eyes looked at Han. The beast let out another hiss.

"This will be the one to guide us?" Leia asked excitedly. She was unphased.

Sana looked at her approvingly. She clapped Leia on the back. "Indeed, she will lead us well. Who else knows what lurks in the sea than a sea monster?"

"How is it you are friends?" Leia asked.

Sana paused for a moment and then laughed. "You are the first to ever word it like that. _Friends_?"

"Are . . . are you not?" Leia asked.

"No, we are! It is an accurate word. My mother was a siren. My father a mortal she mated with, killed, and ate. When I was born, it was clear that I was only a half-blood. My mother did not let that deter her in raising me. We traveled the seas and oceans and great rivers all over the world. Eventually my mother gifted me with a newborn Volt. We have been inseparable ever since."

"I know the feeling. I have a twin brother," she said with a clear longing in her voice.

Sana nodded. She turned around to face Han. "Get that little navigation droid over here. Let us set sail for the Core."

* * *

Han had gotten a few hours of sleep, but they had been unrestful. The sun was just rising, and he stood on the quarter deck watching the blue water. Sana walked up the steps. She stood beside him, and quiet peace fell between them. Of course it was Sana who broke it.

"You've always been ambitious, Han Solo, but Olympus? You think you can con the gods themselves? Haven't you already tempted their wrath enough with this ship?" she asked.

"I'm not going there to con anyone," Han said.

"Oh? Then what? Plan to smuggle out some ambrosia?"

"Is it so hard for you to believe I am not going there for the coin."

She raised an eyebrow. "You? Not interested in the coin?" She paused. "It's that girl, isn't it? She's . . . she's not mortal, is she?"

"How can you tell?" Han asked. "Is it because she glows?" Or perhaps the way the stars themselves were in her eyes? The way her laugh was like a beautiful melody? Or that her smile warmed him up when he saw it?

"Glows? Can't say I noticed that, but I've been around enough mortals and demi-gods to know she isn't either one of those. She isn't dead, so she must be immortal."

"She's a goddess, or will be one."

"And why is a goddess taking your ship to Olympus?" Sana asked as she crossed her arms across her chest.

"What's wrong with my ship?" Han defensively asked.

"She's a god," Sana said. "Why not ride a flying beast or call upon a winged chariot?"

Han sighed. "She's never been to Olympus before," he muttered. "I don't think she knows how to do those things."

"She's . . . she's never been to Olympus before? And why is that? How is that?"

"She's been living with her father and brother."

"Until she had the misfortune of running into Han Solo?"

"Hey!"

Sana looked at him. She pursed her lips. "I've never heard of a goddess by the name of Leia."

"She isn't a proper god, yet," he explained.

"Huh," Sana said.

She walked down the steps and down the gangway. Leia was at the bow of the ship with the droids. Han rushed after Sana. He arrived at the small bow deck right behind her.

"Han tells me you're a goddess who isn't a goddess yet," Sana said fearlessly.

Leia's large brown eyes fell on Han. He could feel a pull as if he would sucked into those eyes and drowned. He looked down at his feet.

"I'm a godling," Leia explained. "I have yet to discover my purpose and receive my god name."

"And how do you do that?" Sana asked.

Leia sighed. She looked out to the sea. Her pink lips pulled down in a frown. Han hated to see that expression on her face.

"There is nothing I can do," Leia said. "Godhood will find me when it is time. I am told it can strike without warning. I'll suddenly just know who I am and what I must do." She looked back over at them. "Though generally it does happen around when we reach maturity. It should happen to me soon."

"So you have no idea what kind of god you will be?" Sana asked.

"No."

"You don't have any guesses? What do you want to be a god of?"

Leia smiled. A beautiful, wonderful smile that made her glow. How did Sana not see it?

"A goddess of love?" Han asked.

Sana shot him a look, but Leia only laughed.

"I hope not," she said. "When I was young, I thought it would be fascinating to be a goddess of magic like Talzin, or perhaps a goddess of retribution especially towards those who harm innocent women."

"I could pray to a goddess like that," Sana said.

"To be honest, I've never thought on it too heavily. Of course I've mused on it from time to time, but I've never devoted myself to one idea. My brother, however, has."

"You mentioned you had a twin. He's also like you? A godling?"

"Yes," Leia said. Her smile brightened. "He's always wanted to be a god of travel. He's always yearned to see the world. He's always been off exploring, often annoying our father when he couldn't be easily found. He said he would also be happy with being the god of ships or horses."

"And where is he now?" Sana asked. "Why is he not going to Olympus?"

Leia looked at Han. Her eyes were still so big and round. Had she ever blinked. There were no stars in her eyes now, but flames. There was a slight downward pull at the corner of her lips. Han's hair stood on end.

"He's at home," she said slowly. "With our father."


	10. Chapter 10

Night had fallen, and Leia laid at the bow staring up at the sky. She could have stayed this way forever with the rocking of the ship, the wind, and the stars. She examined each star. She knew what stars were. She had heard stories. Seen paintings. Even studied star charts. But the real ones were so different. She hadn't expected them to twinkle like they did. She didn't expect them to be different colors. She didn't know there would be this many.

She heard feet approaching, but didn't stir. Han laid down next to her. He folded his arms behind his head and looked up at the sky.

"It's beautiful," she said.

"Yes, it is," Han said.

"I keep looking for the constellations, but I can't seem to find them. I've studied them, but this looks nothing like the star maps."

He laughed. "You can't capture the stars," he said. "I doubt even Unduli could."

"You know her first name is Luminara. I think it's a prettier name and more fitting for the goddess of night. Luminous, just like the stars."

"Luminara? That is a good name. You're right, it does fit better than Unduli. You know, why is it that you get a second name when you become a god? Why not keep the one you had?"

"It's . . . like a robe a priest or armor a soldier wears. It's something that marks a god when they are being gods. And it's something you can put aside for when you want a moment of peace. Instead of being Unduli, goddess of the night and stars, she can be Luminara, a woman."

"What is your father's first name?"

"I do not think he would like it if I shared," Leia said. "He no longer uses it. He only goes by Vader now."

A silence fell between them. She listened to the sound of the waves hitting the boat. She heard the whirl of the metal oars rowing themselves.

"When I was growing up on Corellia, I didn't know the names of the stars nor the patterns of the constellations. I knew they had names and shapes, but I was an orphan. There was no one to teach me. So Qi'ra and I would sneak out at night to the rooftops and make up our own names and patterns."

There was a tightness in her chest when he mentioned Qi'ra. That had been his lady love who had ventured into Hades to find. Han lifted an arm up and pointed at a star.

"That one we called Blue Blink," he said. He pointed at a blue blinking star.

"You could not think of another name?" she asked.

He laughed. "We were kids. And see those stars there? See how that one connects to that one? We called it Dogo as it looked like this three-legged dog that used to roam the streets."

"You named the stars after a three-legged dog?" she said with a smile.

He pointed to another group of stars. "We used to think those ones were Pegasus. See how that clump kind of looks like wings? Then those ones look like a body and legs? It's not Pegasus. It's actually the hydra."

"I don't see it . . ."

"See those stars are the head and then the body goes from there to there and all the way down there."

"Doesn't a hydra have multiple heads? It just looks like a serpent."

"I didn't make the stars," Han said. "Perhaps you could ask Unduli where the rest of the heads are."

"Perhaps I shall," she said smiling. She pointed up at a different set of stars. "And what of those?"

"Oh, those. They are actually two different ones. See that set over there was the old baker. See he's holding a tray of bread? And that set was the tree."

The night stretched on, and Leia listened to each name and story of Han's stars. Her smile never leaving her lips.

* * *

As the sun rose, the ship was silence except for the steady beat of the oars. All of them stood on the quarter deck. Han hadn't seen much of Chewie and Ahsoka the past day. The two had been busy playing dejarik. Chewie enjoyed the game, and he enjoyed having someone to compete against. He had long since gotten tired of beating Han and the droids. He had tried to get Leia to play, but she wasn't interested.

Now they all stood together looking at the blue waters. According to Sana, they were in the Core. Han was expecting . . . more . . . So far it looked like the same ocean they had seen the day before. The same ocean he had seen all his life. The only difference was it felt different. There was a weight to the air. A tension. Almost as if a storm was coming, though the skies were clear and the water calm.

"By nightfall, we'll be on the other side," Sana said. "But for now we should all be on watch. There are things that live here that are very fast and very big. They can easily overcome Volt Cobra."

"And what happens if something that is very fast and very big pops out of the water?" Han asked.

Sana looked at him as she drew her blade from its sheath. "Pick a god and pray to it," she said.

The entire ship was tense. They took up different spots and kept their eyes constantly on the waters. Close to midday, Sana tensed.

"Volt says there is something big approaching," she said in a low voice, but everyone heard it.

Han wondered how she even knew what the beast said, especially when the creature hadn't even surfaced.

"She is going to retreat," Sana said slowly as she looked at each person in the eye.

"That's . . . that's not a good thing, is it?" Han asked.

"No," said Sana as she pulled out her sword from its sheath.

Han saw a bulge in the water. He pulled his own sword free. Chewie let out a roar as he readied his bow. Ahsoka drew two swords, one shorter than the other, from her belt.

A large head raised from the water from a long slender body like that of a serpent. It was huge, far bigger than Volt Cobra. Its head was sleek, smooth and skull-like, and it had four eyes. There were no eyeballs, just vacant gaping holes where the eyes should be. It almost looked like a dog's skull with large canine pointed teeth. The mouth opened into a hiss, and Han could see it was filled with three rows of small razor sharp teeth.

Han gripped his sword. They could do this. It was only one monster after all. But then another head raised from the ocean and another and another until there were six heads. Each long serpent body disappeared into the water, but they seemed to be disappearing towards the same point. So it must be a six-headed beast and not six separate beasts, though Han didn't know which one was woret.

As it approached, the heads snapped and hissed.

"Keep it away from the mast!" Ashoka shouted.

A head came right for Han. He slammed his sword against the hard bone. The head was knocked to the side, but the blow sent Han's head ringing. Force, it had hurt! And while he had fended off the attack, he had done no damage to the beast at all!

Han was stationed on the quarter deck. He looked down the rest of the ship. Sana was bravely battling off a head. Chewie was unleashing arrow after arrow at another head. Ahsoka had leapt up on one head while slashing at another one.

"Han!" Ahsoka shouted. "Steer the ship away from it!"

Han had to fend off his head again and ran for the rudder. He pushed on it hard to steer the ship away. Luckily the metal man-less oars kept rowing. The ship started to turn away from the great beast. Could they outrun it?

"Han!"

It was Leia. She was gripping the edge of the railing up on the bow. She was on the side opposite of the monster. She looked at him and pointed into the water. He followed her direction and saw it. A great whirlpool. Leia ran down the gangway, dodging swords, bows, and snapping teeth.

"It's charybdis!" she said.

"Is that another monster?" he shouted.

"Yes!"

"How do _you_ know?"

"Because it has teeth!"

He looked back out at the waves. That's when he saw them. On the edge of the whirlpool were small triangular pointed rocks. But they weren't rocks. They were teeth.

"Kriff!" Han shouted.

"Steer us away from it!" Leia shouted.

"And back to the other one?"

"If we get dragged into the charybdis' whirlpool, we won't escape!" Leia snapped.

"Like we're going to escape six heads!" Han snapped back at her.

"I'll take my chances with the scylla!" she said as she bounded down the gangway.

"_Scylla_? Is that what _that_ is?" he shouted after her.

_Kriff_. They were screwed. This was straight out of the tales the great poets recited in packed amphitheaters.

He looked back at Leia. She stood fearless in the middle of the gangway. The ocean sprayed all around them as the monster's heads and whirlpool kicked up the waves. She was looking straight up at the six-headed beast.

Then she looked at Sana, who was completely distracted by her own battle. Leia ran over to her and ripped the bow and quiver off Sana's back. Sana let out a shout, but couldn't do much else as she batted away another bite of the scylla. Leia swung the quiver on her back. She readied the bow with an arrow. She did so with ease and grace of practice. She knew her way around a fight.

Then she leapt an unbelievable leap. She _flew_. She landed first on one of the white boney heads, but she didn't dwell there. She ran down its snakey body. What was she doing? Two of the other heads stopped their attacks and whipped around. They lashed out towards her. She jumped and dodged. She jumped from one neck to another. She bounced off one head and aimed her bow right down into the churning waves. She shot off an arrow right into the water.

All six heads let out an ear-splitting scream. They all withered in pain. All six heads focused on Leia. Han pushed heavily against the rudder, trying to keep it away from the charybdis. Chewie stormed up to him and pushed his weight against the rudder as well.

Ahsoka gripped the sides of the one of the necks. She slashed wildly at it. Green blood was flung everywhere. Leia was jumping, leaping, dancing amongst the six snapping heads. Whenever she was able, she shot an arrow down into the center point of the beast below the waves. Each time an arrow hit, the beast would scream with all six mouths.

Suddenly the heads grew higher. Whatever he was expecting to see as the scylla's body, it wasn't the monstrosity that rose out of the waves. Connected to the six necks, was a woman, though that wasn't completely accurate. It looked like a woman, but she was huge. Her body was three times as tall as Chewie. Her skin was a horrible pale green color that was covered in scales and spines. Her eyes were all white. Her black lipped mouth was filled with sharp pointed teeth. Her black long hair hung from her like seaweed.

Then Han noticed her waist. The long snake necks came out of her waist, but so did two wolf heads. _Wolf heads_? What in all three realms was this creature? She had large wolf heads coming out of her waist along with six serpents! The wolf heads snapped at Leia. The woman's arms lashed out as it tried to grab the godling.

Leia was undeterred. She never stopped for is she did something would have her. She moved like a ribbon on the wind. She jumped and flipped and arced over serpent necks and snapping teeth and under long black nailed hands. She fired arrow after arrow into the woman body of the scylla.

But then she faltered. There was a slight pause. Han noticed it too. She was down to her last arrow. She threw away the bow and grabbed the arrow in her hand like it was a dagger. Then she bounded up the main body and brought the arrow down into one of the milky human eyes. A scream like none Han had never heard before erupted from the scylla. Han was forced to cover his ears. He fell to his knees. His whole head hurt.

Even after he knew the scream had ended, it still echoed and rang in his mind. He wasn't sure how long he was curled up on the deck. But he felt the small warm hands lace their way through his tightened body. They grabbed him and eased him up. He slowly opened his eyes to see the beautiful brown eyes of Leia. There weren't stars behind them, but the sun. Golden and glorious. It warmed him. It eased all the ache away.

He leaned in towards her. Felt the weight of her hands. How he wished they were all over him. But then she stood up and stepped away. He toppled over onto the deck. There was a slight roar from Chewie asking if he was ok. Only his pride.

He pushed himself up to shaky feet. The ocean was clear. No giant she- demon- snake- wolf- beast nor a giant whirlpool with teeth. It was just the ocean waves. And well Volt Cobra whose head was leaning over the railing as it swam alongside the ship. Sana was petting her head and cooing softly to it.

"What happened?" he asked.

Ahsoka walked over and slumped down against the railing. She used her own tunic to wipe the green blood off one of her swords.

"We escaped a very deadly trap," she said.

Chewie let out a questioning roar that mirrored Han's own thoughts.

"The scylla and charybdis are a horrible pair. They work together. Scylla pushes the boat towards charybdis, or the boat tries to avoid charybdis only to be pushed right into the scylla," Ahsoka explained.

"I thought . . . I thought, I mean I've heard, that the scylla lives in cliffs," Han said. It was so scylla could go undetected from the ships trying to avoid the charybdis.

Ahsoka shrugged. "I assume it's like any beast. It goes where the food is."

Chewie let out a roar.

"I agree," Han said. "We were lucky."

Chewie roared again.

"Yeah . . ." he said as he looked over at Leia. She had walked over to Sana, who was petting Volt. "She was something else."

"She saved us," Ahsoka said matter-of-factly. Then her tanned face softened. A few white strands of her hair flew across her face. She looked longingly at Leia. "She was a hero."


	11. Chapter 11

The rest of the voyage had gone smoothly with no more monsters attacking them. They had seen the lights of Coruscant the night before, but decided to wait until daybreak to approach the island. Coronet had been impressive, but Coruscant was completely breathtaking. Leia never thought there would be a mortal city to rival that of the Necropolis in Hades, but Coruscant might be able to weigh coin against it.

Coruscant was a large island, but was only a short distance from the mainland. Leia couldn't see them from this side, but the city island boasted large bridges that crossed the strait dividing the island and the mainland. The city was spectacular. Large buildings with huge columns rose above the simple red-roofed houses and businesses. She could see impressive temples with statues of the gods lining the porticos. There were statues and gardens tucked between the buildings whenever possible.

Han had decided to dock his ship on the south side of the island away from the busier districts. The buildings here weren't as big or majestic. It was more rundown. Sana had muttered it was where the low-lives and criminals gathered. But it was Ahsoka who defended Han's decision claiming it was where they could dock that would allow Chewbacca without chains around his neck.

"Chains?" Leia asked.

"As a slave," Ahsoka said. "Wookies are commonly enslaved."

Leia looked over at Chewbacca who has helping Han 'turn off' the metal oars. She knew about slavery. Her father and grandmother had once been slaves. But it didn't exist in Hades. Not that all souls were equal, but the worth of the soul was measured by the worth of the person. Which was measured by their actions not their wealth and property.

"There seems to be a lot of temples," Leia noted.

"There is a temple to every god here," Ahsoka said. "Unlike almost everywhere else in the mortal realm, Coruscant doesn't have a single patron god that they support above the others. Though they do play favorites to the more powerful and influential gods."

"And the gods are ok with this?" Leia asked. "Aren't they . . . all rather greedy and vain?"

"Oh," Ahsoka said with a smile, "they can be. But also they can be amicable to each other. Though I don't see Anakin sharing those stories with you. I'm sure all the stories he tells casts the other gods in a poor light."

_That was a fair assessment,_ Leia thought. But if there was a temple to every god, that meant there was a temple to her father. What did a temple to Vader even look like? She wanted to know. She turned to Ahsoka, ready to voice her wish to visit it, but then decided not to mention it. Ahsoka was not on good terms with her father. Leia felt like she would be against it. So she waited.

It took longer than she expected to dock and pay the portmaster. Ahsoka had gone off to secure horses after paying Sana. Sana said goodbye and disappeared into the city. Han and Chewbacca were discussing what supplies needed replishining and repairs to the ship. Everyone seemed preoccupied, so Leia quietly slipped off the ship and into the throng of people.

She didn't really know where she was heading, but she made her way north towards the city center. Towards the large buildings and statues of gods. She made sure she kept in sight of the ocean. Not daring to go too much inland. The city started to change the further she went along. The streets became better paved. The people better dressed. The houses were larger and made of finer materials.

Finally she stopped and asked someone where the Temple of Vader was located. They gave her a strange look, but gave her directions. She had to leave the sight of the ocean as she made her towards the center of the island. The road she traveled on became quieter. There was more greenery and less houses. Then she started to see the grave markers. Some were simple pillars or slabs of marble with a name etched on them. Some were elaborate stelai that towered over her with sculpted reliefs that depicted the dead often with family crest or an animal symbol of a god.

She started to see the symbols of Vader and Hades. There were lines of neatly trimmed cypress trees. There were narcissus flowers, white with a yellow center, scattered about the markers. She also saw metal bidents and carved three-headed dogs. There was of course his symbol carved everywhere. It mimicked his bident, a straight line that forked into two at the top. However, it forked into a smooth semicircle. In the center was a small dot. A line slashed across the staff below the fork.

Soon the path twisted up a hill to a temple. It wasn't grand or large, but it was nice and well kept looking. It had a large domed roof on top. The portico had a smooth arched walkway leading to the temple. Large black fabric hung from the top of the portico. White symbols of Vader had been embroidered in the center. It was quiet here. She did not see anyone else. She put one foot on the first step, and that was when she heard the voice.

"Stop!"

She looked over to see an aging man hobbling over as fast as could on a cane.

"What are you doing, girl?"

"I wanted to go into the temple," she said.

He came to a stop beside her. He gasped as he caught his breath.

"You cannot go inside," he said.

She pursed her lips. "Why not?"

He took another few breaths. "Only the priest may go inside," he explained. "The temple is only opened once a year. Even then, very few people are permitted to enter. They are to help with cleaning the temple."

She looked up at the temple. She did not know that.

"Is that how all temples work?" she asked.

"This is the only temple to Vader that I know of," he said softly. He looked around as if someone was watching and listening.

"Surely there must be more," she said.

"He is not a god you welcome," he said in a whisper.

"He's also a god you do not wish to anger," she said. "I would imagine many would want to gain his favor."

"They gain his favor with respect, girl," the man hissed softly. Why was he lowering his voice?

She looked up at the temple a bit disappointed. She wondered what the inside looked like. But then she thought of something else.

"I'm told there is a temple to every god on Coruscant," she said.

"You want to go off and desecrate another temple? Anger another god?"

"No," Leia snapped at him. "But is there a temple to Skywalker?"

His eyes grew wide in surprise. "Sky-Skywalker? The god of heroes?"

"Yes."

He opened his mouth. He made a few garbled noises, but they weren't words. He stopped, collected himself, and gave her directions. She thanked him and made her through the cemetery and back into the city proper. She followed the directions up a cliff that overlooked the heart of the city. She expected to find another temple, not scattered ruins.

It was clear it had once been a temple. She could see the toppled over columns. A few broken statues. The outline of the building and a bit of wall was still there. Green vines grew along the shattered marble. Weeds poked through the once vibrant tiles of the floor.

Her heart sank in her chest. How could mortals allow such a thing to happen? She walked over to the base of a column. She noted the chip marks at the top. It hadn't just fallen apart, it had been _taken_ apart. She was appalled. How had her father allowed such a thing to happen to his temple?

But it's not his temple anymore.

He was no longer Skywalker, god of heroes. She walked up the broken steps and into the temple proper. Graffiti was carved into what remained of the walls. They were harsh words asking where the god had gone and why he had deserted them. Tears pricked at her eyes. She was angry! Is this what mortals did when they lost faith in the gods? No wonder the gods smote them! She wished she had her god powers to do so on behalf of her father.

But she had none. Not yet. For now, she was powerless. Just a helpless godling. She sighed. With a heavy heart she left the broken temple which felt far more of a cemetery than the actual one. She walked back down the cliff on winding stairs back into the city. The sun had passed the midway point. She had been gone for a while now from Han's boat. They must have noticed her absence. She should head back.

She stood at a crossroad. She could turn back south and return to dock, or she could go north towards the city center. There was a tickle in the back of her mind. A nudge that said she should go, so she took the north road. The streets grew wider and grander. People were dressed in all sorts of colors as they were able to afford the dye for their clothes. She noticed the sparkling jewelry many wore. There were also more soldiers dressed in armor that had been painted white.

But none approached her as she made her way down a grand road. A huge domed building lingered up ahead. It was massive. Far, far bigger than Vader's temple. She wondered if it was a palace, for no other building seemed to be as large as this one. A large circular courtyard stood in front of the building. It was line with a colonnade and a fountain stood in the center. Leia approached it and looked up at the statue that stood high in the center.

It was her mother, Amidala, goddess of justice. She stood tall and straight. Her face was painted white with her lips red and two small dots on either cheek. Her hair was carved into a twisting braid that wound around her head and an elaborate headpiece. One arm was held up as she held a balance scale from it. It was the symbol of Justice. Flowers had been placed into the water. They were the flowers of Amidala, lotuses.

"I knew I might find you here."

Leia didn't turn to face Ahsoka, but the woman came to a stop beside Leia. She too looked up at the statue.

"Why here?" Leia asked. "Why not at her temple?"

"This is more her temple than the real one," Ahsoka said. "That building is the great Senate building. That is where justice is truly needed. Not in some gilded temple, but amongst the politicians."

"Why haven't they torn down her statue?" Leia asked. Ahsoka didn't respond, so she continued. "I went to the temple of Skywalker. It was in ruins. She has been gone as much as he has. Yet they still lay flowers at her feet."

"I don't know," Ahsoka said in a soft voice. "Maybe because Padme _still is _Amidala. But Skywalker no longer exists since Anakin became Vader."

"But she can't hear their prayers," Leia said as emotions built up inside of her. There was a lump in her throat. "She can't grant them anything. Surely they've noticed? Like they did with Skywalker."

"I don't think they have," Ahsoka said. "Justice is so much more subtle than heroics are. And mortals are capable of justice, and heroics, without divine intervention. Perhaps they see the everyday justice that they themselves created and thank Amidala for it."

"But they do not do the same for Skywalker?" she asked.

Ahsoka sighed. "You're paddling a sinking boat on that one Leia," she said. "There are still some temples to Skywalker still standing. Though not here. In fact, it was Imperial decree they all be destroyed several years back."

"Imperial decree?" Leia asked.

"Yes, the Emperor ordered the temples destroyed. Only in places where the Empire couldn't touch do the temples still stand. Many are along perilous pilgrimages that young would-be heroes had to overcome to prove their worth."

"But why would the Emperor decree such a thing? Tearing down a god's temple is quite sacrilegious."

"Emperor Sidious is a daring man," Ahsoka said. "And loves to turn the anger of the people on to other things besides himself and the Empire."

"Such as my father's temples?"

"Yes."

Leia decided right then she didn't like this emperor. Ahsoka put her hand on Leia's shoulder.

"Come," she said. "Let's head back to the boat. We won't be able to leave for Olympus today. We shall wait until tomorrow."

* * *

In the corner of the great Senate Rotunda's courtyard, where the shadows were deep and thick, a pair of eyes watched a young brown-haired girl be led away by a tanned skin and white-haired woman that wore a deep cloak pulled over her head to hide her horns. The shadows stirred and slithered away. They followed the darkness from building to building, avoiding the burning sunlight. They hopped to shadows under carts and followed it several streets. It clawed its way over walls and through houses where the occupants shivered from a sudden chill.

It didn't linger to feast upon their fear. It already moved quite slow when the sun was out and was bound to travel only in shadows. But the lower the sun went, the more shadows there were, and the faster it could travel. Eventually it found itself amongst the grave markers. It snaked its way up to the temple of Vader. It crawled up the steps, past the long black fabric, and slid inside.

The temple was a large circular room. The walls held shelves upon shelves of brazzers all lit with burning orange flames. In the center of the room sat a massive black throne with a flame burning in the chair. The creature slithered across the smooth tile floor to the wall opposite of the entrance. It slid behind the brazzer into a black crack in the marble. There it slid into the cold depths of Hades, eager to tell its master of its news.


	12. Chapter 12

Upon leaving the island of Coruscant, they passed through quite a lot of farmland. But eventually the fields thinned out. Now there was just hilly open grassland with clumps of trees here and there. Leia had never ridden a horse for this long before. Her legs, back, and butt were growing sore. She didn't understand why they to travel this way. Leia didn't mind longstepping the entire way even if she was bringing Ahsoka and Han with her.

However, Ahsoka claimed it would tire Leia out really fast, and she would need to save her energy when it came time to scale the mountain. At the time Leia agreed. She didn't know she would be regretting that decision.

Han rode his horse up beside her. She had grown cranky from all the riding and had decided she wasn't in the mood for conversation. She had been left alone for quite some time. Han nodded at her in greeting. He was dressed in simple traveling clothes like the rest of them. Leather armor over their white short chitons and a traveling cloak over that. They all carried a sword on their hips, Ahsoka with two, and Leia and Han carried bows.

"You okay there, princess?" he asked.

"I am finding my enjoyment of horses dwindling with each step," she murmured.

Han laughed. "Guess there aren't many horses to ride in Hades."

"There are plenty of horses. Just not that many places to safely ride them."

"So where did you ride horses then?"

"My father built a stable and a horse track for them. Since he was a boy, he has always had a love of horses and racing. He taught Luke and I to ride. Luke took after our father. He too loves to race."

"Did your father also teach you how to fight?"

She looked over at him expecting to see him have some stupid grin on his face, but he wasn't joking. His face was serious.

"He taught me some," she replied.

"That was . . . something," he said. "What you did with the scylla. Not even Ahsoka or Sana compared to you."

She smiled at the compliment. "Someone had to save our skins."

"So is fighting monsters the norm for you? I know Hades has to have some nasty creatures lurking in those tunnels."

"I do have some experience with monsters, yes."

"Wait. I was joking earlier. You really have fought monsters before?"

She laughed. "What else was there to practice on?"

He looked at her open-mouthed and clearly at a loss of words. She took that as a personal victory as he always seemed to have something to say.

"My teachers thought it would give me real fighting experience. Give me real fear," she said.

"I can't imagine your father just threw you to some monsters."

"Oh, no, it wasn't my father who did this. He's a great warrior, and he trained Luke and I. But well . . ." She paused unsure if she wanted to tell this story.

Han looked over at her. There was a crooked smile on his face. He was waiting.

"Well I was young, but no longer a child. At the time, my brother and I were finally discovering interests separate of each other. Luke was into horses and boats and racing. And I . . . well I liked to listen to stories and explore. It was especially exciting to evade my father's guards, sneak out of the palace, and explore on my own. The freedom was refreshing.

"One day, I was walking alone. Not far from where I first met you actually. There I came upon a man. A dead one, of course. He wasn't a simple soul going about its underworld journey. He had a flesh body, but it was rotten and falling apart. But I had seen much worse growing up in Hades, so I was unafraid. I approached him. We exchanged a few words, and I went on my way. But I only took one step before he grabbed me.

"He attacked me. Ripped off my clothes. He pushed me to the ground and tried to push himself between my thighs. As I mentioned, my father had trained me. I was able to get a strong blow to his arm. His brittle and decayed bones snapped. I was able to free myself and run away."

She paused in her story. She didn't meet his gaze. He said nothing. She listened to the gentle clopping of the horse hooves.

"I was so ashamed and terrified," she finally said after several long moments. "I snuck inside the palace. But I was naked and covered in scratches and bruises. So I pulled down a tapestry and wrapped myself in it. I made my way to my bedroom where I hid under my bed. That was how Luke found me. He knew something was wrong, and he couldn't get me out from under the bed. So he went and got our father.

"Father came and knelt down. He tried to get me to come out, but I just cried. Frustrated, he used his godly magic to lift the bed into the air and move it aside."

"He can do that?" Han interrupted.

"You'd be surprised at the power of a god," she said. She sighed and continued. "Father was at my side at once, but I had only hidden myself in the tapestry. He spoke in a soft voice saying that whatever was wrong had passed. He eventually pulled the tapestry off and saw the injuries. At first, he assumed I had had a fall. But then noticed I was naked and he took a harder look at where my injuries were.

"He knew without me saying a word. I had never felt more ashamed in my life before. I curled up and buried my head into my hands. I was ready for my father's wrath, but it never came. Instead he scooped me up into his arms. He brought to the bath and gently washed me. He dressed my wounds and laid me in his own bed. Then he wrapped me in his arms. I just cried and cried until I finally fell asleep.

"The next day he only asked one question about what had happened. 'Were you defiled?' he asked. I was only able to shake my head no. He was relieved, but I could sense the building anger. Not at me, but towards the one who had attacked me. After I recovered, he introduced me to the Keres who had once been Amazonian warriors. There were quite a few. Father said something about how Amazonians had a righteous burning in their souls that made them slow to pass on to shades.

"So I trained with them. They trained me to fight like a woman. They employed all sorts of other women of the dead. The Erinyes, or the Furies, as you may know them, were especially keen on providing their own expertise. So yes, my teachers threw me to the monsters to give me experience. To make sure my fear would never be my weakness. If I could face a beast with a hundred legs and teeth, then I could face a man with only two legs and a handful of teeth."

Again silence fell between them. They traveled on for some time as such. Ahsoka was ahead of them on the path leading the way. Leia watched the clouds in the sky and the way the created shadows on the land below. She was still amazed by the mortal world. She loved to see how things worked like the clouds casting shadows and the way sunlight filtered through the leaves in the trees.

"So did your father ever find the man that attacked you?" Han finally asked.

"Yes," she said. "He hunted the man down personally himself."

"And?"

"And what?"

"What happened to him? I can't imagine it was anything pleasant."

"It was not. My father took him apart piece by piece. He slowly twisted each part into a thin string. Do you know how long your whole body is when it is nothing but a string? This includes your veins and organs. You can be stretched out a very, very long and impressive distance. I must say, it is a very cruel way to spend eternity."

"The man is . . . is still alive? I mean . . . for a dead guy."

"Does he still have a conscious? Yes. As if my father would grant eternal rest to that man," she said.

She looked over at him. He had gone pale. He was looking straight ahead, but his eyes were unfocused.

"I am sorry," Leia said. "Did I say something to bother you?"

"I just . . . I just wonder what he'll do to me."

Ah. She understood. What would Darth Vader, lord and king of Hades do to the mortal man that had stolen his daughter? It was a very good question, and the answer was one Han should be very afraid of. She closed her eyes and prayed they would make to Olympus before her father found him. There was no way she would ever be able to convince her father not to punish Han. His anger would be too much for her to soothe.

* * *

Darth Vader stood with arms clasped behind his back. He stood on a balcony of his palace that overlooked the grand Necropolis. His thoughts should be on the dead and the underworld. Of making sure the souls were going through the afterlife journey properly. That they were making it to their proper destinations. But his thoughts were on his children.

Of Luke, who still laid cold and unwaking. Of Leia, who had been stolen and was in the mortal realm.

Though finally he had news of her. She had been spotted on Coruscant standing before the statue of Amidala in the Senate courtyard. She hadn't been alone. Vader was expecting to hear of a young mortal man, but instead, it was a woman with Leia. A woman with tanned skin with white markings on her face. A woman with white hair who wore a large hood.

_Ahsoka_.

His old apprentice and acolyte. The one he had used to get his children out of Olympus. He had no regrets there. He would use whoever he had to get and keep his children. But it worried him that now Ahsoka was seen with Leia. No doubt they were on their way to Olympus. Was Ahsoka seeking to regain her invitation into the heavenly realm?

Vader's hands tightened. It didn't matter. Leia wouldn't make it to Olympus. That he would make sure of. He wasn't sure what path Ahsoka would take from Coruscant to Olympus as there were several. However, all paths eventually merged as there was only one way up to the summit. If Vader was to intercept his daughter, it would be there.

The problem was timing. He could not be away from Hades for long, so he couldn't simply wait for them. He already had the path watched, but messengers could be too slow to reach him down here. Leia could easily be gone by the time he got up to the mortal realm even with his speed as a god.

He would rather be there to secure his daughter himself. But it appeared he would have to have someone else do it. The question was who. He unclasped his hands. He had a lot of options, but there was only one he could think of as being the best.

"Piett!" Vader snapped.

The lich materialized next to him. Ever a professional, he stood attentive.

"Bring me Boba Fett," Vader ordered.

Without saying a word, Piett bowed and disappeared with a puff of blue smoke.

* * *

Leia was ready to kill her horse by the second day of traveling. She had thought of a hundred different ways to kill it. Being a princess of Hades had made her quite knowledgeable in the ways of death. It wasn't hard to think of ways to end this blasted creature.

They had reached the foothills of Olympus. The mountain towered into the sky beyond them. The sun was setting, and they had stopped to make camp. Ahsoka had gone off to hunt while Han started a fire. Leia was tending to the horses. She found them much more enjoyable when she wasn't riding them. There was a small stream nearby in which she let the horses drink from. She led them back to the camp and secured them near some bushes and grass. Then she went back to the stream by herself.

She untied her sandals, sat on a rock, and dipped her feet into the cool water. It felt nice. Very nice. She was very tempted to strip and jump in to bathe. She was covered in sweat and grime and way too much horse hair. But she didn't despite wanting to. Instead she just watched the water flow around her ankles.

"There is something soothing about watching the movement of water," said a soothing masculine voice.

Leia looked up to see a man crouching on the side of the stream. He leaned against a gnarled walking stick. He had long brown hair that fell past his shoulders, but had tied his bangs back behind his head. He had a beard that was well kept. He wore a long light tan tunic with a dark brown cloak over it. He looked a bit like a hermit, but the clear blue eyes spoke of something else.

"Hello," Leia said.

The man smiled and nodded. "Hello. I am Qui-Gon."

"Qui-Gon? As in Qui-Gon Jinn?" she asked. "The god of nature?"

His face lit up. "I am he. I do not believe I have met you before, which with how little time I spend on Olympus is quite easy for me."

"I'm Leia," she said.

Qui-Gon paused before asking, "Just Leia?"

"Yes, just Leia."

"So you have yet to achieve godhood," he said.

She wanted to ask how he knew she was a god without her telling him. But perhaps he just knew. He was one of the oldest gods of the Pantheon Order. Or perhaps it simply came from experience.

"You should find yourself a proper goddess soon," Qui-Gon said.

Leia huffed. "So I've been told, but it has yet to happen."

Qui-Gon laughed. "Ahh, the impatience of the youth. I barely recall mine, but I do recall a young godling I took under my wing who, how do you say it, bloomed late?"

"And who was that?"

"Obi-Wan Kenobi."

"God of negotiations and debate," she said softly. "I imagine he worked quite closely with my mother."

"Your mother is a goddess?"

"Oh, yes. Amidala."

Qui-Gon took a long look at Leia. His blue eyes seemed to pierce right through her. He stood up.

"The daughter of Padme and Anakin . . ." he said slowly. "Though I'm told he no longer goes by that name."

"No."

Qui-Gon sighed. "I am curious to hear how he is. Did he ever tell you about me?"

Leia shook her head. He appeared sad.

"I found him," he said. "As a young boy in the Tatooine Desert. I was the one to bring him to Olympus."

She leaned forward. "What was he like?" she asked.

"Perhaps we shall talk over tea?" he asked.

"Tea? Here?" she said as she looked around the woods.

Qui-Gon laughed. "Not here, but nearby in my home. I have some wonderful Japir tea."

She grabbed her sandals and carefully waded across the stream to the other side. Qui-Gon held his hand out and helped her climb the rocks on the other bank. They walked a short while until they came to the side of a rocky hill. Built against the side of the rock was a wooden hut.

"This is where you live?" she asked. She couldn't imagine a god, much less the god of nature, one of the oldest and most powerful gods, to be living in such a place.

"Yes!" Qui-Gon said happily. "Come, come!"

She followed him into the hut. It was bigger on the inside than she had thought. The hut had been built at the opening of a shallow cave. Soft green moss grew all over the ground like a carpet. Various branches and cut flowers hung from the ceiling so they could dry out. There were pots filled with dirt in which all manner of plants grew. Some of which Leia had never heard of or seen before.

He led her over to a small kitchen area. He had a fire already going in natural alcove of the cave. He filled a bronze pot with water from a bucket and placed it on the fire.

"Now then," he said. "What would you like to know of Anakin?"

Leia smiled as question after question tumbled out of her.


	13. Chapter 13

Leia held the warm empty cup in her hands on her lap. It was her second cup of tea. Qui-Gon had told Leia the story of how he had met her father as a child. He had been a slave. What she hadn't known was Qui-Gon wasn't alone when he met Anakin. He was traveling with two other gods. One was Padmé, who had very recently became a full goddess. She had received her godhood at a young age, the youngest ever. The other was Obi-Wan, who was older than Padmé but had yet to achieve godhood himself.

Leia was fascinated to hear stories of her parents. Her grandmother had told her a few stories of her father, but those stories were always when he was a child. When he was still a slave and lived with his mother. Qui-Gon knew not only knew her father, but also her mother. Her heart yearned to know her parents of the past. They had been young and ambitious and fearless. Some of the stories Leia could easily see her father that she knew in Anakin, but there were many times she couldn't believe that Anakin and Vader were the same person. But her heart really broke when she heard about her mother. The mother she never knew. The mother she knew so little about.

There came a sudden knock on her door. She jumped in her seat, which was a moss covered rock. Qui-Gon looked at the door with a questioning look.

"Wait here," he said. "I shall see who calls upon me. Very few know of this place."

He stood up and walked over to the door. He opened it just enough for him to slip out. He closed it behind him.

"Qui-Gon. Good you're home," came a man's voice.

"Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said. "It always good to see you."

Obi-Wan? Obi-Wan Kenobi? Leia placed her cup on the floor and slowly crept towards the door. She tried to peek through the cracks in the wood to see the famed god.

"What brings you out here?" Qui-Gon asked.

"There is something going on . . ." Obi-Wan said. "There are sightings of the dead in this realm. A lot of sightings. Hades is stirring."

"Hades is always stirring."

"No," Obi-Wan said. "Not since Vader became king there. He has brought order to that horrid place. He has rules. Laws. He doesn't allow the dead to carelessly roam outside of his realm. He's a bit possessive of them. There have been rumors . . . A fishing village on Corellia was destroyed . . . I was wondering if perhaps you had heard something."

"I do believe you used to mock me for listening and talking to plants," Qui-Gon said. "And now you ask me if I have heard something? Through the literal grapevine?"

There was a stretch of silence. Leia could not get a good view. She couldn't see the two gods outside. She sighed as she straightened, but her foot hit one of the many plant pots. It tumbled over with a loud thud.

"What was that?" Leia heard Obi-Wan asked as she bent over and scooped the dirt and the plant back into its pot.

"I . . . I have a visitor," Qui-Gon said.

"A visitor? You? Here?" Obi-Wan asked clearly not believing it. "Who? Who even knows you live out here besides me and Yoda? Mace, maybe. I would say Dooku, but he's in Tartarus. Possibly some nymphs? I don't see them as ones you'd invite into your home."

"Isn't an old man allowed to have to company on occasion?"

"Are you saying you got lonely? The person who hasn't set foot on Olympus in hundreds of years because he'd rather be talking to plants?"

Leia put her hands flat against the door and pushed it open. Both men turned towards her.

"You don't need to cover for me, Qui-Gon," Leia said.

She looked at Obi-Wan. He stood there stroking his auburn beard as he looked at her. He was dressed as a politician with a long ankle-length chiton. He wore a simple dark blue himation over his tunic that had thick white strips along the hem.

"And who is this?" Obi-Wan asked.

Qui-Gon sighed. "This is the answer to your query, Obi-Wan," he said. He walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Oh?"

"This is Leia, daughter of Amidala," Qui-Gon said as he looked back over at Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan's mouth fell open. His hand that was stroking his beard went limp. His eyes widened.

"I . . . I see . . ." he said. "This would explain Vader's unease. How did you come to get here of all places?"

"It is a long story," Leia said softly. She looked up to the sky and noticed night had settled in. Had that much time truly passed? "And I must be getting back to my traveling companions. They must be worried."

"Your brother?" Obi-Wan said hopefully.

"No . . . no, he's back with our father. I am on my way to Olympus- "

Obi-Wan cut her off, "Excellent! I can take you there myself."

Obi-Wan walked over to her and Qui-Gon stepped aside. Obi-Wan smiled as he leaned forward and took her hand.

"No," Leia said. "I mean, thank you. But my I must get back to Han and Ahso—"

A long high pitched wail filled the woods. It caused Leia's hair to stand on end and goosebumps to flood down her arm. Obi-Wan tightened his grip on her arm.

"We must go," he said. "We cannot linger here. If Vader suspects you are going to Olympus, no doubt he has spies all around the mountain to prevent you from reaching the summit."

"Wait!" Leia said trying to jerk her hand out of Obi-Wan's grasp, but the god didn't let go.

"Leia," Qui-Gon said softly. "Do you wish to go to Olympus? Or do you wish to return to Hades?"

"I . . . I . . . do want to go to Olympus," she answered truthfully. However, it wasn't just for her sake she had come here. She needed to get back to the camp.

"Then we must go," Obi-Wan said as he pulled Leia.

She stumbled forward and in that one step, the rocky hill, the hut, and Qui-Gon all disappeared. Leia gasped, and Obi-Wan pulled her forward. The trees sped past them. She could tell they were getting higher. The air was becoming colder. She tried to catch her breath. She pulled on her hand, but Obi-Wan didn't let go.

Then suddenly they came to a stop. No longer was it cold. In fact, it was warm. Obi-Wan released Leia's hand. She snatched it back to her side and glared at him, but her eyes instantly rolled off of him as she saw what was behind him. It was a city. A grand golden city that put all before it and all that would come after it to shame. She took a small step forward as she looked upon the grand sight of the heavens.

She had made it to Olympus. The home of the gods. The home of her parents. Her home.

* * *

The sun was setting and the sky was turning purple. Ahsoka returned to the camp with two dead rabbits. She tossed them to the ground next to the fire Han had built. She glanced around.

"Where is Leia?" she asked.

"By the stream," he said. "I think taking a bath. She's been down there for a while."

Ahsoka stomped off. Han picked up one of the rabbits. He stripped off the fur. He had just finished when Ahsoka came back.

"She wasn't there," she said as she glanced around the camp.

Han stood up. "What do you mean?"

"She wasn't there!" Ahsoka snapped. "There was nothing there. Just some footprints on this sid of the stream going into the water. But I didn't find any going out."

"You don't think . . . she drowned?"

"She's a god! Even if she didn't know how to swim, she'd just be unconscious at the bottom of the stream. Not like it has that strong of a current to wash her away."

Han looked around the woods himself. "Kriff," he cursed. He had a bad feeling about this.

"This is bad," Ahsoka muttered. "She could have long stepped away. She could be anywhere. She could be at the summit for all we know."

"No," Han said. "She wouldn't do that. She wouldn't leave us behind like that."

_Wouldn't leave me behind. Right?_ Han thought. _But why not? Why not leave me behind? I practically kidnapped her from her home. Why would she care what happened to some mortal?_

He ran a hand through his hair. Then he ran off into the woods. He shouted her name. He hoped she had just wandered off to look at the trees or grass. The woods had gotten dark and night would soon be here. He kept running through the forest.

Then through the bushes and leaves, he saw a flickering light. Leia! He ran towards it and stumbled onto a well made road. It was wide enough for a wagon to travel along. The light he had seen was from a lightpost. He noticed they were spaced out along the road. He saw them trailing up the side of the mountain.

Was this the main road up to the summit? Ahsoka had mentioned that they would soon have to travel up the road as the terrain became steep. The road was the only safe way up. Had Leia seen the lights and come here as well? Had she gone to the summit by herself?

There was a deep stabbing pain in his chest as he thought of that. He grabbed the fabric of his tunic as he looked up at the dark mountain. Well if she had gone up there, then he would follow her. He had only gone a few steps when he heard rustling. He stopped at once.

"Leia?" he called out.

Something slammed into his head. He fell to the ground. His hand came up to rub against the back of his head. Pain was spreading where he had been hit. But he barely had time to comprehend that, before something slammed on his back and pinned him to the ground. Hands grabbed at his arms and pulled them behind his back.

"Hey!" he yelled. "Get off."

Rope was tied around his wrists and then his ankles. Then a hand dug into his hair and pulled him up. Finally he was able to get a good look at his attacker. It was a large man dressed in armor including a helmet that hid his face. The armor was painted a dark green with dark red and black accents. The shoulder plates were yellow with a red Mandalorian skull symbol painted on one. The armor was heavily used with dents and scraps all along it. And Han recognized it.

Only one man dressed like this. Boba Fett. Famed bounty hunter.

"Han Solo," Fett said. "Where is the girl?"

"Girl?" Han asked, acting clueless. "What girl?"

Fett's hand slammed into Han's cheek. "A young woman. Curly brown hair. Brown eyes. Ring any bells, Solo?"

"I don't know," he said.

Fett punched him in the face again. Han spit on out blood onto the packed dirt road. He glared up at the bounty hunter.

"I don't know where she is," he said.

Fett let out an annoyed grunt. He pulled out a leather pouch. He ripped Han's head back. Han yelped in pain. The lip of the pouch was pressed against his lips. Han felt liquid run down his throat. He tried to fight. He tried to cough. Spit it up. But it went down his throat. It wasn't long before he fell unconscious onto the dirt road.

* * *

Vader slashed out against the golem with his flaming sword. It easily cut the monster in half. It fell to the ground and joined the other clay golems scattered about his training hall. He sheathed his sword. The golems were not enough to quench his anxiety.

Soon. It had to be _soon_. The bounty hunter would find Leia and bring her home. Then Vader's family would be together again. He walked over to the side of the hall and grabbed a large pitcher of water. He was naked save for his sword belt and sandals, as was the custom for training. He drank heavily.

"My lord- lord!"

Vader turned at once. A servant ghoul stood in the entrance of the room. Her skin was a pale gray and her dress was a matching color.

"What?" he snapped.

"There is a message," she said as she held out a rolled up piece of parchment.

He summoned his black chiton from the floor to his hand. He tied it around his waist as he marched over to her and snatched the roll from her hand. It was a message from Fett stating he hadn't recovered Leia, but had captured the mortal man Han Solo.

Vader let out a scream of rage. _Failures! Useless failures_! Of course a mortal failed. The pathetic scum always failed him! They had taken his dear Padmé from him! And now his daughter!

_No_!

His hand snatched out and curled into a fist. The ghoul floated off her feet. Her hands grasped at her throat. True, she was already dead. But he could end her very existence. Destroy her soul. And that was what he did. It faded from this world forever with the sound of snapping bones. It didn't make him feel any better.

He stomped away from the training room and the body crumbling into dust. Into nothing. He should have gone to the mortal realm and secured his daughter himself. He should . . .

He paused as a thought came to him. Instead of trying to find Leia, he should have Leia come to him as clearly she hadn't thought of returning yet. She was a spirited girl. Probably too excited and curious about the mortal realm. (Because she belonged there amongst the living beings. She was pulled to be there. But those were thoughts he didn't dwell on.) If returning home to her family wasn't enough of a reason to come back to Hades, he would need to lure her back with something else.

Perhaps that mortal man would prove useful bait.


	14. Chapter 14

Olympus was much more than Leia could have ever imagined. It was overwhelming. She had found herself a dark corner in the palace the Pantheon Order had gifted her. She curled and pressed herself amongst the cold stone. If she closed her eyes, she could fool herself that she was back home in her father's palace.

She had though the mortal realm intense and amazing. The heavenly realm was ten times worse. Things here weren't just alive, they hummed, glowed, sung, flew, glittered, and it was all an explosion on her senses. The rules of nature were skewed. Impossible things were possible. There were floating islands and walkways made of clouds. One moment it would be warm and sunny, and then the next cold and rainy depending on the nearby moods of gods.

Leia understood why Qui-Gon spent his time in the mortal realm. She would rather be there than here. It wasn't just the place, but the people as well. It was exciting to meet the other gods such as Yoda, Shaak Ti, and Mace Windu. But they were also . . . a bit . . . off . . . Sometimes they were arrogant while others were aloof and seemed not bothered and unconnected to the world around them.

She especially hated when they insulted her father. When they spoke of him with disgust or anger. When they looked at her with pity as if she had had a horrible life growing up in Hades. But she should rejoice! She was now in the paradise of Olympus. The others who dwelled here weren't much better. As a goddess, everyone bowed and tried to gain her approval. Her palace was filled with gifts. She had no idea what to do with all of it.

The worst part, though, were the dreams. She dreamt of Han in pain and screaming. She had left him behind. Had he been captured by her father and dragged into the Underworld? Was he facing the cruel punishment of Darth Vader? She couldn't shake the dreams upon waking either. She tried to push them out of her thoughts, but no matter what they would creep back. It appeared to be more than dreams. They seemed to be real.

But what could she do about it? The whole point of coming to Olympus was so Han could receive an invitation to come live here as a reward for 'saving Leia from Hades.' But she had come here without him. So had he fallen prey to her father's hunters? It was possible, and the thought clawed at her heart. She couldn't leave him to that fate. Even if it meant going against her father, she had to do something about it.

The problem was that she wasn't sure how to leave Olympus. This place was more of a maze than the underworld. She swore things moved around. She would leave a garden behind, only to come across the same garden after a time of walking. She had taken no turns to circle back around to it. It was simply there again. Moreover, any time she managed to get away, she would soon run into someone else. It felt like this place was working against her. It was trying to keep her here.

Eventually, Leia left her hiding place to find something to eat. She smoothed out her clothes. The clothing and food of Olympus were two things she did like about this place. The fabrics were often brightly colored with fine patterns sewn into them. Leia wore a long pink chiton dress with dark pink straps under her breasts. Over that, she wore a himation sash draped across her left shoulder. It was a soft yellow with a blue striped hem. Her hair had been pulled back and wrapped with golden cord.

She made her way to the main cook for her palace was a jovial woman with dark skin and pale hair that was almost white. Leia was always amazed at the food the cook prepared. Most of which were foods Leia had never heard of before.

"Lady Leia!" the cook said excitedly. "Come! Come! I have just finished some roasted lamb. Come eat."

Leia smiled and sat down at a table in the large kitchen. The cook brought her a plate of steaming lamb ribs along with a few bowls of fresh fruit and vegetables.

"This is delicious," Leia said, after tasting the lamb.

The cook smiled widely at her. "It was a favorite of your mother as well."

"My mother? Did you know her?"

The cook laughed. "I worked in her palace as a cook."

"Her . . . palace?"

"I forget how little you don't know. But where do you think the gods on Olympus live? Of course she has a palace."

"It is . . . It is still there?"

"Yes, though it has been closed off."

"Where can I find it?" Leia said, jumping to her feet, her meal quickly forgotten. The cook smiled and gave her directions. Leia was pleased she was able to follow the directions. Not because she was poor with finding her way, but because for once Olympus didn't seem to be moving and shifting about her.

She soon found herself at the edge of a large lake that was surrounded by thin tall trees and rolling plains. It reminded her of the Elysian Fields where she would go to meet with her grandmother's shade. She saw a large island out in the lake and noticed the teal and red roof tiles poking out from the trees. Was that her mother's palace? Out on the lake?

It had taken her sometime before she found a boat. The naiad who ferried her across informed her this place was called Varykino. Leia thanked her and climbed the steps up to the palace. She noticed a sense of serenity and calm the place held. A smile tugged on her lips. She walked around the paths that made their way through the estate and gardens.

"Who are you?" a feminine voice demanded.

Leia spun to see a woman holding a basket of flowers. She was a pale-skinned human with brown hair that had been spun in a knot at the back of her head. She wore a pale light blue peplos dress with a dark blue epiblema shawl across it.

"It's you," the woman said. Her basket lowering slightly. "You're Padme's daughter."

"Did you . . . Did you know her?"

The woman tilted her head. A sad look fell across her face.

"Of course I knew her," she said softly. "I'm her sister. Sola."

Leia gasped. "Sister? I . . . I had no idea I had an aunt . . ."

"What has your father been teaching you in Hades?" Sola asked as she walked over to Leia. "I would think he would have told you about your mother."

"No," Leia said in a soft voice. "Not really. It was always too painful for him."

"Ahh," Sola said. A small silence fell before she spoke up again. "Come, follow me."

Leia followed her aunt through the paths and up to the palace itself. They entered and found it empty. There was no furniture or decorations. It was just the beauty of the building with its patterned tiles, bright mosaics, and lovely murals on the walls. They came to a large window where a stone bench still sat. The two sat down on it.

"I only met Anakin properly once," Sola said. "Padme had brought him to our parent's home. He was as old as you are now. Still a godling. And it was no secret how much he adored my sister. The same could be said for her. They often would stare at the other with deep affection and longing. It was obvious they loved each other."

Leia smiled.

"I never understood the Order's decision to keep them from marrying," Sola said.

"Wait . . . what?" Leia asked.

Sola let out a small laugh. "I see. You truly know nothing. But as I said, your parents were in love. They went before the Pantheon Order to receive their blessing for marriage. But your father had only just received his godhood at the time. The Order thought they were too young to marry, especially for gods. So the two ran off to the mortal world and married in secret. It wasn't until Padme grew pregnant that the secret was discovered."

Leia wondered why her father had never shared this with her or her brother.

"You look so much like her," Sola said.

"Thank you."

"I always knew you'd grow up to look like her. I bet your brother looks like your father with that blond hair and those blue eyes."

"How . . . How do you know what my brother looks like?"

Sola tilted her head. "I did meet you and your brother when you both lived on Olympus as babies. Before your father kidnapped you."

Hadn't Ahsoka mentioned that as well? Hadn't Rig Nema said Ahsoka had lost Luke and Leia? Many of the Olympus gods talked about Vader kidnapping his children.

"Can I ask you what happened?" Leia asked. "I . . . I . . . hate not knowing about myself. My father never mentioned that Luke and I lived here as babies."

"It was Kenobi who brought you here," Sola said in a soft low voice. "He was the one who had heard your mother's cries and pleas. He had been the one to deliver the babies. He was the one who brought the two of you and Padme's body to Olympus."

Kenobi . . . Kenobi had delivered her and Luke?

"You lived here," Sola said with a wave of her hand at the palace. "In fact, the nursery used to be through there. It overlooked the garden. But your father did not deal with the loss of your mother very well . . ."

Leia stiffened. "Yes, I know that part," she said. Sola nodded.

"For his crimes against the humans and the mortal realm, he was to be locked into Tartarus. But he managed to escape and fell into the Phlegethon. When he emerged, he had been changed. He was a new god."

"He was no longer Anakin Skywalker, but Darth Vader," Leia said. Sola nodded again.

"He wanted his children to live with him," Sola continued. "But the other gods were against it. The underworld was no place for children. So Vader came to Olympus and . . . stole you and your brother. Of course this angered the other gods who stormed down to Hades and demanded your return. Vader was willing to fight to keep his children. It was Kenobi who came up with a compromise. It was agreed that you and your brother would be raised in Hades, but when you two reached godhood, you would return to Olympus."

She didn't know that. She had never known. Her father had never told her that! Why hadn't he?

That night when she returned back to her own palace home, she sent a message to Obi-Wan Kenobi asking to talk with him. He came the next day.

"Thank you for coming," Leia said.

"How are you liking Olympus?" Obi-Wan asked.

Leia paused. "It is . . . a lot. It's very different."

Obi-Wan smiled. "I can imagine."

"I asked you here, because I was hoping you could answer some questions."

The two sat on a large veranda overlooking Leia's palace's garden. The servants had brought them fresh fruit, wine, and bread.

"You are the god of negotiation. You must have worked close with my mother," she said.

Obi-Wan took a long sip of his wine. "I did work with your mother a lot. Though truthfully, I spent more time with your father."

"My father?"

"I was his mentor," Obi-Wan said.

"How so?"

"I was with Qui-Gon when he discovered your father in the mortal realm. He was brought to Olympus. I received my godhood at the same time. The Order thought it would be best if Anakin had someone to watch over him. Guide him as a god. It was decided that I would do it."

"But you had just received your godhood," Leia pointed out.

"Indeed," Obi-Wan said with a long sigh. "In truth I had offered to take up the job."

Obi-Wan took another long sip of his wine.

"Why?" she asked after giving him a moment.

He sighed again. "If you want to know the truth of it, I wanted to make Qui-Gon proud of me."

"I don't think you needed to be my father's mentor to do that."

"I was young and foolish. And Qui-Gon was . . . Well . . . He's my father. My mother is a naiad, though I never knew her. I had been raised here on Olympus with the other gods. When I was an adolescent, I snuck away to the mortal realm and found Qui-Gon and begged him to mentor to me. He was reluctant. And yet, with Anakin . . . well to make a long story short, I was jealous. A trait we gods do not handle well."

So Obi-Wan had decided to raise Anakin to get the attention of his father Qui-Gon?

"I heard . . ." Leia said softly. "That you were the ones to deliver my brother and me."

Obi-Wan stilled for a moment. Then he took another sip from his wine. "Yes," he finally said.

"What happened?" she asked. "Please. Tell me."

He put his cup down and sat up straighter as he looked at her.

"There was a war," he said slowly. "A great war. At the time, there was a man named Sheev Palpatine who was the Chancellor of the Senate on Coruscant. You father and mother dealt with him a lot. You father considered him a friend. But none of us knew how evil he was. He desired to be immortal. It is assumed he orchestrated the great war to spread the gods out thin. Then he just waited until he had one alone and vulnerable. Sadly, that was your mother.

"She was in the late stages of her pregnancy. Both your father and I had urged her to stay on Olympus, but she was determined to do her job. To see that justice was brought to the mortal realm. Palpatine attacked her. He carved out her heart. By the time I arrived, he was nowhere to be found. Your mother was in labor. So I helped you and your brother come into this world, and watched as your mother faded from it."

Leia's heart was up in her throat. She had no idea. All her father had ever told her was that a mortal had attacked her mother. Never had she heard the details.

"Trust me," he said. "Every god on Olympus has gone to the mortal realm to search for Palpatine. What he did was an unspeakable act. I doubt anyone on Olympus would have stopped your father from dragging that man to Hades. In fact, many might have followed just to see what Vader had in store for Palpatine."

Leia grabbed her wine and took a heavy sip from it.

"But . . ." she said. "Gods don't die. Not . . . not like humans. Even without a heart . . . What happened to my mother?"

Obi-Wan looked at Leia. "Force," he muttered. "Vader truly told you nothing." He looked out at the gardens. "You are right. She isn't dead. Not like a human. Her body was given to your father, whom I assume has always kept it safe somewhere in Hades."

"My mother is Hades?"

"I do not know where else Vader would choose to keep her safe."

Her mother . . . Her mother was in Hades? All this time? Even if she wasn't alive . . . The chance to see her . . . Why? Why had Father never told her? Or Luke? Why were there so many secrets?

"Leia," Obi-Wan said as he leaned over and placed a hand on her arm. "I do not think your father kept these things from you to hurt you. Quite the opposite. I think he did it to protect you. The grief of losing your mother drove him to do unspeakable things. I believe he thinks he's shielding you from that same feeling. And he probably didn't want to give you any false hope about her returning."

"Re . . . returning?"

"If one could find her heart and return it to her," Obi-Wan said so nonchalantly. "Though to do that, one would need to find Palpatine. You know, your father's bounty on Palpatine is very high. I imagine he would give over every single drop of riches in the underworld to have your mother's heart."

She had gone numb. Her ears were ringing. Her heart pounded in her chest.

Her mother could return! All she had to do was to find her heart.


	15. Chapter 15

That night, Leia dreamed. Not of her mother or father or Luke or even of Olympus and all its gods. She dreamt of Han. Of Han in pain. He was screaming over and over and over again. She awoke with a start and was sticky with sweat.

It took some time, but she was able to eventually go back to sleep. But the same dream awaited her. Han was in pain. Again she awoke drenched in sweat. Her heart climbing up her throat. She paced her bedroom.

What had happened to Han? He was with Ahsoka. Had something happened to them? Had . . . Had her father caught him? No. He still seemed to be alive in the dreams. Vader was much more interested in the dead. So had something else happened?

Her anxiety didn't wane as the sun rose. She again picked up her search for the way off Olympus, but found herself back at her own palace. Frustrated, she returned. The servants informed her she had an invitation from a goddess to go visit their palace. Leia wanted to turn it down as she didn't want to play socialite. But she ended up accepting it. She needed something to get her mind off the dream.

The invitation was from the goddess of love. Leia's servants would not let her go without properly getting dressed. So they dressed her in a long teal chiton dress with gold detailing along the hem. She was given a lovely gold belt and a silk shawl to drape across her shoulder. Her hair was adorned with a gold headband. A heavy necklace was laced around her neck. It reminded her of being back in Hades and dressing up for feasts and other parties.

But finally, she was ready. The servants brought around a carriage, and Leia went to the palace of the goddess of love. She was expecting it to be a grand palace like all the other buildings on Olympus, but it was not. It was mostly gardens with various gazebos and small little huts or houses scattered around. She was escorted to a large willow tree. Under the weeping branches, were rugs and pillows and a low table filled with drink and food. Lounging on one of the pillows was the goddess.

"Hello," Leia said as she bobbed her.

"Leia!" the goddess said. "Welcome! Come sit!"

Leia lowered herself down onto some soft pillows.

"I am glad you came," said the goddess.

"I am curious as to why you requested it."

The goddess smiled. "Do you know who I am?"

"The goddess of love, Sabé."

"Goddess of serene love," Sabé corrected. Leia nodded.

There had originally been only one goddess of love, but then one day, the goddess had a growing headache. Yoda tapped the goddess with his gimmer stick and a whole other goddess had sprung forth. Thus, there were now two goddesses of love. There was Sabé, the goddess of serene love, and Miraj, goddess of lustful love.

"Have you ever been in love, Leia?" Sabé asked.

"No."

Sabé leaned closer. "Are you sure?"

"I love my father and brother," Leia said. Serene love included the love of family.

Sabé sighed and leaned away. "You are just as bad as your mother."

"What does that mean?"

"Your mother and I were . . . very close. There is no one I love more than her," Sabé said softly. "It is why I chose this god name. I would not allow the Pantheon Order name me. I wanted to honor Padmé."

Sabé did sound like Padmé.

"Tell me, how did you sleep last night?" Sabé asked.

A chill ran up Leia's spine. She looked away from Sabé.

"My guess?" Sabé said. "Not well."

"I was not aware you were also a goddess of dreams," Leia said.

Sabé laughed. "I am a love goddess, and I know when it is matters of the heart that keeps one awake."

Leia's cheeks burned. "Matters of the _heart_? Are you saying . . . That I am in love with . . . No. No way am I love with that nerfherder!"

"A nerfherder? He must be mortal. How did you two meet?"

"I am not discussing Han."

"Han. Han. Han," Sabé said over and over again. "A dull name."

"Because he is a dull man. A stupid man. He snuck into Hades and agreed to go to my father's feast to dance with me."

Sabé's eyes lit up. "And did he? Dance with you?"

"Yes."

"And how was it?"

"It was . . ."

Leia recalled the dance. His warm smile. The small touches. How he had leaned in close. His eyes on her lips.

"It doesn't matter," she said quickly. "He only did it so I would tell him where his lady love's soul was. It was the whole reason he snuck into the underworld was to find her."

"And did he find his lady love?"

"No. She wasn't dead."

"So now you fear he's snuck off to be with her now that you're gone?"

"What? No! Besides, the dreams . . . he was in pain. As if he was being tortured. I fear my father may have gotten his hands on him. That's why Han was coming with me to Olympus. To protect him from my father's wrath."

"Hmmmm," Sabé purred. "Interesting. But if you must know, I did not invite you here to talk about Han. I have a gift for you."

"A gift?"

"Well, I don't think that would be the right word. It has always been yours. I've been keeping it safe all these long years. Waiting for you and your brother's return to Olympus. Come," Sabé said as she stood up.

Leia followed her through the lush and beautiful gardens filled with exotic plants. Some of them were unreal, and she couldn't help but wonder if some were grown with tricks of magic. Sabé led her to a small open meadow. Two horses were eating grass in the middle. One was all white while the other a silvery grey.

"They're beautiful," Leia said softly.

Both horses heads snapped up and they looked directly at Leia. They unfurled their wings and ears went back. That was when Leia realized they were pegasi.

"Twilight is the grey one," Sabé said in a soft voice. "Azure Angel is the white one."

The two pegasi ears had moved straight up. They had folded their wings back to the side. Then they started to approach.

"They are foals to your father's pegasus," Sabé said as the two approached.

They were both looking at Leia. Azure Angel approached cautiously. She lowered her head and sniffed Leia. Slowly, Leia brought her hand up and rested it against Angel's nuzzle.

"Hello," Leia said softly.

The pegasus bobbed its head affectionately. Twilight approached and also lowered her nuzzle to Leia. Sabé smiled.

"I've never seen them like that," she said. "They barely tolerate me. They've always been aloof or aggressive to everyone else. I knew when they were born, twin pegasi, they were meant for you and Luke."

"Thank you," Leia said as she gently pet the two sisters.

"I am sure you will put them to good use when you leave Olympus."

Leia stilled. The pegasus nudged her to continue petting.

"What?" Leia asked.

Sabé smiled knowingly. "They will make leaving Olympus quite easy," she said.

"Leaving?"

"Oh, Leia. You are your mother's child. Your father's too. I do suggest you change before you leave. You'll stick out in the mortal realm wearing that. I have plenty of garments to choose from. We seem to be about the same size."

"Are you helping me?"

"Yes. We best hurry up before anyone shows up to try and stop you. They'll just guilt trip you into staying."

* * *

Leia smiled as the wind whipped past her. The night air was cool and refreshing. She clung tightly to Azure Angel as the pegasus flew through the night sky. Olympus was fading behind them. Twilight flew along her sister. Leia laughed. Never before had she felt this free. It was exhilarating!

She followed the tight feeling in her chest. She steered Azure Angel on through the night. This wasn't about love, regardless of what Sabé said. This was about doing what was right. If Han was being turtored because of her, Leia had to do something. He was a good man, though a bit stupid.

But her thoughts eventually went to her father. Had Vader found Han? Is that what had happened? Would she have to face her father . . . The father that had lied to her or kept things from her. So many things, especially matters concerning her mother. Why? Why hadn't he told her?

Because it pained him.

A pang of guilt stabbed her heart. She knew why her father hadn't mentioned it. Because when it came to Padmé Amidala, her father was reluctant to share because he still grieved her. The wound was still fresh. It still bled, and he didn't want to fall into despair. He still had his children and he needed to be there for them. But Leia was no longer a child. Almost an adult now. Almost a full god. She could bare the pain. Her father didn't have to carry it alone any more.

She sighed and leaned against Azure Angel's neck. She wished Luke was here. She could easily imagine him riding on Twilight. The wind whipping at his hair. A huge smile on his face as he laughed. What would he think about all of this? About their mother? About themselves? About Father?

Never had they been apart this long or this far. Her heart ached. Tears burned at her eyes, but she didn't let them fall. Her body felt heavy. Her heart felt heavy. She realized she just wanted to rest. She wanted to be home. Home with Luke and Father. Back in Hades. At least for just a moment. Let her recharge before she had to continue on.

The night was fading away and dawn was coming. The horizon was alight in bright pinks and golden reds. She now flew along coast where waves crashed against white cliffs. She realized she didn't know where she was. She sat up straight and glanced around. There wasn't anything out here. She didn't see a road or ships. Should she turn around? Find a mortal and ask for directions?

But then she noticed something on the horizon. There was an island out in the sea. She steered Azure Angel towards it. Low hanging fog clung to the waves around the island. A strange island sprouted out from a sea of clouds. The bulk of the land was a good distance from the water. It sat as if on a disc or plate. A thin strand of rock connected the plate to a rocky base amongst the waves.

What _was_ this place?

The sun had risen by the time she reached the island. A grand city sat on one side while farms filled up everything else. She landed near the city amongst a small group of trees. She petted Azure Angel and thanked her. She left the two pegasusi behind as she made her way to a road and walked towards the city.

It was a beautiful city made of white stone. The people of the city were of all types and races. There were a variety of humans in different colors and sizes as well as non-humans. She saw Rodians and Twi'leks. Wookies and Togrutas. Sullustans and Gungans. She had seen all these races before. All who died came to Hades, but they were dead. It was different seeing them alive.

Sabé was right. Leia would have stuck out in her clothes from Olympus. The people dressed mostly in white chitons and tunics. A few added a splash of color if they could afford the dye. Leia wore an off-white short chiton that stopped above her knees. She had belted it with a leather strap. She wore leather sandals that laced up her calf. On her belt hung a small knife Sabé had given her. Her hair had been braided and looped around her head to keep it out of her face as she rode on Azure Angel.

She made her way through the city. There were lots of stalls along the roads as tradesmen and peddlers offered their wares. She saw all sorts of goods from fine silks to metal tools to powders and herbs. This place had quite a bustling trade going on, but how did they get up here? She had flown in on a pegasus, but how did these people along with their goods get up here?

There was a large circular fountain in a square that she stopped at. The pressing feeling in her heart was growing. Han was here in this city, she was sure of it. She had to find him. She dipped her hand into the fountain and pulled it up for a drink. That was when she saw a dark-skinned man approaching. He stood out with his light blue long tunic with a yellow cape hanging off his back. He also had a mustache, which wasn't much in style. Well at least the dead and immortals Leia was familiar with.

He walked straight to Leia with a smile on his face the whole time. "Well, hello there," he said.

"Hello," Leia greeted.

"You are a new face here. Is this your first time in Cloud City?"

So this place was called Cloud City. It was a good name for it.

"It is," Leia said cautiously.

The man's smile grew. "Then you must let me give you a tour. My name is Lando Calrissian. I own this island."

She paused. She didn't trust this man. There was something . . . off about him. But perhaps by taking a tour, Leia would be able to find Han faster. So she agreed. Lando nodded and led her around the city showing her different places of interests.

"You have a lot of traders here," Leia pointed out.

"Yes, we mainly trade with tibanna," he said.

"Tibanna?"

"A precious mineral found only below the sea."

"Below the sea? Then . . . Then how do you mine it? How do you even get to it?"

Lando laughed. "You saw the large pillar the island sits on?" She nodded. He continued, "It's hollow. We use it as a shaft to get to the mines below."

"Seems rather . . . extreme," she said. "But I suppose it must be worth it. What is tibanna used for?"

He paused and smiled. "They're luminescent rocks. They glow in the dark. A light source without fire." There was in awe in his voice, but Leia having grown up underground was familiar with glowing rocks. He frowned seeing that she wasn't impressed. "They can also be smelted in the finest weapons you have ever seen. The gods own weapons are made from tibanna."

She raised an eyebrow at that. She knew the best weapons were made from kyber, but didn't say anything.

"Why don't you come see one of my store rooms?" he asked.

"To see weapons worthy of a god?" she asked.

"Why, of course," he said.

She wanted to see this, and Lando led the way to a large building. However, as soon as they entered a bald man approached them. The man leaned over and whispered into Lando's ear.

"Excuse me," Lando said. "There is a small matter I must attend to right away. Please wait here." Then he went off with the bald man in tow.

The tight feeling in her chest had been growing. She was getting closer. Was Han here? In this building? She decided she was not going to wait for Lando. She carefully walked through the white halls. It was quiet, and she didn't see anyone else. The feeling pulled her down a flight of stairs and then another. It became cooler.

The feeling was getting stronger and stronger. It felt like her heart could barely beat inside her chest with how tight it was. She entered a large circular room. It was dark and against the walls were blue glowing stones that must be tibana. Along the back wall were steps. It looked like an amphitheatre. The room was empty and she was ready to move on, but then froze.

She looked up the steps and spotted the figure standing there. He had blended in with the darkness. But she knew that silhouette. A small gasp escaped her throat as she took a small step forward. Her eyes adjusted to the dim light. She only waited a second longer before she ran across the room and up the steps. She spread her arms out wide and jumped at the figure, who had opened his arms to her.

She wrapped her arms around the large man and pressed her head to his chest.

"Father," she murmured into the black fabric of his chiton.

"Leia," Vader said softly back as he wrapped his arms around his daughter.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I commissioned some lovely fanart for this story. [Please check out this amazing Greek goddess Leia by daryshkart. ](https://daryshkart.tumblr.com/post/188262830234/princess-leia-as-greek-goddess-for-lovely) It's amazing.

She was here! Leia! His daughter was here in his arms. He had her. Something inside of him finally relaxed. Things were right with the world again. Leia was safe. Soon she would be home and Luke would wake up and everything would go back to normal. Back to how it was supposed to be. She hugged him tightly and he hugged her back. Oh, it felt so good to have his little girl in his arms again. They stayed like that for a long while.

Finally, she pulled away. Her eyes glistened with tears.

"Father," she said softly.

"Leia," he said back.

"What . . . what are you doing here? How? I . . ."

"It's alright," he said.

She pursed her lips and took a step away from him.

"Father, I . . . " She looked uncomfortably around the room. "I went to Olympus."

A flame of hatred flared inside of him, but he tried to keep it from showing on his face.

"You did?" he asked in a strained voice.

"Yes," she said. "And I . . . I met the other gods."

He frowned. What had they told her? What lies?

"I met so many gods," she continued. "I met my aunt, Sola. I didn't even know I had an aunt. Or grandparents. I also met Obi-Wan Kenobi."

Vader didn't stop the hiss that came out of him from hearing that name. Leia paused, but then continued on.

"He told me what happened to my mother," she said. "Something _you_ _never_ did."

"Leia . . ." he said. What could he say to that? It was true.

"Is she . . . Is she in Hades?" Leia asked. "I know she doesn't have a heart, but . . . she must still . . ."

"Yes," he said in a clipped manner.

Her eyes widened at that. "Why?" she asked. Her voice a whisper. "Why didn't you ever tell me? Or Luke? Why didn't you ever show us our mother?"

He gritted his teeth. "And then have to explain why your mother would never awaken? Never hold you or play with you? Watch as you cried and pleaded and begged for me to fix her? To wake her up?"

Her face fell. "Father . . ." she said. She placed her hand on his arm. "I'm no longer a child. I can handle the truth. The pain. You don't have to carry it alone anymore."

His breath caught in his chest. Oh, his daughter. His beautiful daughter. So much like her mother. He placed his own large hand over hers.

"We can talk about this once we're home," he said.

A small frown pulled on her lips. It was a look he knew well. She didn't want to, but she nodded her head. But then she gasped.

"Wait! I can't go home yet!" she said. Her hand slipped away from his arm. She turned and looked around the room. "I have to find Han."

"_Han_?" he hissed. "Han Solo? The mortal who _kidnapped_ you?"

She turned back around to face him. "He didn't kidnap me."

"Your brother tells a different story. Plus how else did you leave Hades? You could not have left it on your own two feet. Someone had to _take_ you out of there."

"Yes, Han did carry me out of there. But he isn't a bad person. There was a cave in and he thought he was saving me."

"A magical spell I had placed on all entrances of Hades should my children ever get too close to them."

Her eyes widened. She placed her hands on her hips. "We're not the dead," she said sharply. "We're your children. Not prisoners."

"I know," he said between clenched teeth.

"Were you afraid we would leave? And what, never come back?"

"Or that something would happen to you just like it had to your mother!" he snapped at her. "Or the gods would come and take you away to Olympus and never let you return. You met them. What did they say about me?"

"That . . . that you kidnapped me and Luke from Olympus when we were babies . . ."

"Ha," he barked out a short laugh. "How can one kidnap their own children? I was merely taking you home to be with your family, and I am treated like a criminal."

"Father . . ."

"You don't need to look any further, Leia. Han Solo is here."

Her eyes grew wide. "So you did have him," she said slowly. "What . . . what have you done?"

"Only what I had to," he said. What he needed to do to lure his daughter to him.

"Where is he?" she demanded.

He reached out to the minds of his guards he had brought with him from Hades. A silent command was given. They would have Solo brought to him.

"On his way," Vader said.

"Good," she said, holding her head high.

Vader narrowed his eyes at her daughter. She had grown too attached to this mortal who had _stolen_ her from her father. His conviction grew. Yes, this was the right thing. It was time to end this.

The bounty hunter Boba Fett walked in first. Two stormtroopers wearing their white bone armor dragged Han Solo between them.

"Han!" Leia said. She went to go to his side, but Vader grabbed her shoulder. She twisted around and glared at him. "Let me go!"

"No," he said.

"Leia?" the mortal mumbled. His voice weak.

"Han!" she shouted.

She tried to pull away, but he only pulled her closer to him so her back was flushed against his chest. She turned back to look at the pathetic mortal. He was bruised and bloodied. His hair hung in sweaty clumps.

"What did you do to him?" she demanded.

"Only what he deserved," Vader growled. Which in truth was only a fraction of what his punishment would be.

"Let him go!" she said again.

"You want me to let a mortal go? One who snuck into my domain? Stole my daughter? No, Leia, I will not let him go."

She stilled. "What . . . what are you going to do?" she said in a soft voice.

He looked at one of the guards and nodded. Fett moved off to the side. Two red blood guards marched in. They wore bright crimson cloaks that hid their red armor. Their red helms covered their faces. One of them carried a black bag.

"What's in that bag?" Leia asked. She twisted to look up at him. "What's in there?"

He only tightened his hold on her shoulder as the guards stopped in front of Solo. One undid the bag.

"Look away," Vader said.

"What? Why?"

The guard stuck his arm into the bag and slowly pulled the head out. The snakes that made up the hair still writhed and hissed. A black sash was tied around the eyes.

"Is that . . . ?" Leia said in a small voice.

"Yes," Vader said. "Undo the sash," he demanded.

"No!" she shouted. "You can't! Han!"

The scum looked up and smiled at her. "Don't worry," he said. "I know."

With his free hand, Vader covered Leia's eyes. Her hands were at once on his trying to pull his hand away. He closed his own eyes as he saw the guards pull the sash free. Though Medusa's head wasn't looking at Vader or Leia, he wasn't going to take chances. He felt the magic hum. He heard the guards shove the head back into the bag. Only then did Vader open his eyes and let his arm drop from Leia's face. A sob bubbled out of his daughter.

"Han . . ." she said softly.

The mortal had been turned into stone. He was standing up as the guards must have released their hold to turn away. His hands were up in front of him as if he was going to stop an attack.

"You can take him now," Vader said.

Boba Fett only nodded.

"Let's go, Leia," he said. She didn't move. She only kept staring at the statue. "Leia," he said in a darker voice. Again, she didn't react. So he grabbed her arm and pulled her from the room.

* * *

"Stay here," Vader said as he pushed her into a room. "I have matters to attend to with the owner of this place. It won't take long. Then we will return home."

He paused. Leia just glared at him. She could not believe him! He had used the gorgon Medusa's head to turn Han into stone! Her father said nothing as they two locked gazes. Then he turned sharply and left. But she wasn't alone. Two of her father's blood guards stood at the door watching her. She let out a frustrated scream as she walked over to the window and threw open the wooden shutters.

Was she that surprised at her father? No. It could have been worse. Much worse. But she was still angry. And now her father was just giving Han to that man. He was dressed as a soldier, but it didn't quite look like a uniform of a military. A mercenary? Something else? She had to stop this. She had to save Han. She was being kept in a second floor room. She glanced down at the ground. It was a good drop. She could make the jump, but she ran the risk of injuring herself.

She looked over her shoulder. The guards still stood attentive. They always would. She had grown up with them keeping watch over her. The best way to deal with them was to sneak off. But her options were either the window or the door they were guarding. The window it would have to be. She placed her hands on the sill and looked down again. Was there a better way to do this? She didn't have time to debate this. Father would be returning at any moment. There was no getting away from him.

She took a deep breath. She used her hands to push herself forward. She flung herself from the window. The wind snapped around her as she fell. She could do this. Her feet hit the ground first and she fell to her knees. Dust erupted around her. She looked at the hard stone tiles she had landed on. It had cracked. She stood up, and while there was a bit of pain in her feet, there wasn't too much. She could keep going.

"Princess!" the guard shouted from window. She looked up at him and smiled. Then she turned and ran.

And ran. Ran past her father's stormtroopers. Ran into the city. Past all the busy people. She longstepped like she had never before. Everything blurred past her. She could feel it. The anger. The coldness snapping on her heels. Her father.

She made it to the grove of trees. She was out of breath as she walked around.

"Azure Angel!" she called between heavy pants.

The pegasus whinied as it came up to her.

"Thank you," Leia said as she petted the neck. "Thank you."

Then she swung herself up on to the back.

"Fly!" Leia cried. "Hurry!"

The pegasus leapt into the air. Twilight soon burst into the air as she followed her sister. The island grew smaller behind them, but Leia could hear a shout on the cold wind.

"_Leia_!"

That single word clawed into her heart.

"I'm sorry," she whispered into Angel's mane. "I'm sorry, Father. I have to do this."

She spurred the pegasus on.

* * *

She was gone. Vader's daughter was gone. She had run away. She. Had. Run. Away. Fro. Him. Her father. Her family. On her own.

That mortal. Vader had gone too easy. He should have killed him. That was why she had run away. To save him. She couldn't be . . . She couldn't have feelings for that pathetic scum, could she?

No. No. He wouldn't allow it. Mortals were filthy beings. Traitors. The only good mortal was a dead one. One that resided in Hades where he had control. Vader had made a mistake. He should have killed Han Solo. It was a mistake he would rectify.

But he had to return to the underworld. He had been in the mortal realm already too long. The pull of Hades and the dead was tugging strongly on him. He cursed his existence. He hated being so tied down. He made his way back to the underworld and his palace. He went straight to Luke's room.

His son was the same as before. There had been no changes. Luke slept peacefully. His chest rising and falling, but his skin was still cold and pale. Vader pulled back the heavy blanket and pulled out Luke's hand. He left a small kiss on Luke's knuckles.

"I'm sorry," Vader whispered. "I wasn't able to bring Leia home."

Perhaps he should have told Leia about Luke. Then she might not have run away to go after some mortal instead of helping her brother. Vader sighed as he tucked Luke's hand back into the blanket. He brushed his son's hair from his face.

"My lord?" came a voice from the doorway.

Vader scowled. He did not want to be bothered. He spared his son one last look, before he turned away and marched to the door. His hands curled into fists at his side.

"_What_ is it?" he hissed at the servant.

"My- my lord," they stuttered. "You have a guest."

"Send them away," he growled.

"My lord they are- they are from Olympus."

That made Vader pause. He opened himself up to the Force, the connection between all things, the thing that connected his very soul to Hades, that made him a god. And yes, there was another god here. Vader wasn't the only god of the underworld. There were others who lived in Hades like Galen Marek and Asajj Ventress. But those who lived on Olympus felt different than the gods of Hades.

Vader made his way to his throne room where this visitor was waiting. Who had come? Hopefully not that stupid messenger god. Usually if Ferus did have a message for Vader, he left it with the servants. He avoided Vader, which worked fine for Vader as well. He entered the throne from a side door that led directly onto the dias his throne sat on. He paused as he saw the man waiting in front of the throne.

"Obi-Wan," Vader said slowly as he walked to his throne. However, he didn't sit down.

"Darth Vader," Obi-Wan said.

"What are you doing here?" Vader demanded.

"I met your daughter," Obi-Wan replied.

"So I've heard."

"Have you? Word travels fast from Olympus to the underworld."

"Let me ask again, what are you doing here?"

Obi-Wan sighed. "I'll get to it then. You plan on finding your daughter and bringing her back here, don't you?"

"Of course."

"I've come to ask you not to do that."

Anger burned through him. He squared his jaw. His eyes burned. "How dare you ask me that," he hissed. "I will not leave my daughter up in that filthy realm."

"You're scared," Obi-Wan said as he stroked his beard. "You fear what happened to Padmé will happen to her."

"Do not speak of my wife," Vader growled.

"Yes, apparently no one speaks of her. Padmé's own daughter knew little of her mother. Really, Anakin, you should have told the twins about her."

"Do not call me that! If you have said your piece, then leave."

"I am not finished yet," Obi-Wan said. "I believe Leia is on the cusp of her godhood. I think she is undergoing her trial. The Force is pulling her to the mortal realm to find her purpose."

Vader paused. He hadn't thought of that. Had it come to that already? Leia was soon to be a full goddess? His little girl?

"That is why I ask you to leave her be," Obi-Wan continued.

"Do not ask me that," Vader said. The venom in his voice missing. "She is . . . she is my child."

"Then at least give her time. Give her a week," Obi-Wan pleaded. "A trial shouldn't last more than that. If she hasn't achieved godhood by then, then bring her home." He paused. "Is it a deal?"

"Always with the negotiations," Vader muttered.

What should he do? Was Leia undergoing her godhood trial? If she was . . . Then nothing Vader could do would stop it. If he brought her back here and her trial was up in the mortal realm, she would only go back up there. In fact . . . now that he thought about it, he hoped it _was_ her trial. She had run away from him. Perhaps it wasn't due to . . . _affection_ for that _mortal_. It was just the Force spurring her on to find her purpose and become a god.

"Fine," Vader said. "I will give her a week."

Obi-Wan smiled and nodded. "And what of Luke?"

A cold stone dropped into Vader's stomach. "What of him?"

"Surely he too must be about to reach his godhood. Has his trial started as well?"

"No," Vader said.

"I see. Well then I shall be on my way."

Vader watched as the other god walk the length of the throne room and left. Godhood? Was Leia really about to become a goddess? What would she become a goddess of? Usually godlings had similar callings to their parents. However, when the children had been born he had still been Skywalker, god of heroes. Would she have a purpose similar to that? Or would she take after him as he was now? As Vader? Or would she take after Padmé?

And once she was a goddess, would she leave Hades and Vader for good?


	17. Chapter 17

Eventually, Leia had to land. Azure Angel was growing tired and needed a rest. She found a small island. It looked uninhabited, and also had some fresh water to drink. The pegasi were eating leaves and grass while Leia laid in the sand under the shade of some trees. She realized she had no idea where Han had been taken. She had no direction. The tight feeling that had led her to Cloud City was gone.

What was she going to do?

She fell asleep with the sun still up, but when she woke the sky was dark but starting to lighten. She had slept through the night. She must have been quite tired. She did feel better. She dusted the sand off of her as best she could. She found the two pegasi sleeping nearby. She decided to let them rest while she took a walk along the beach.

She tried to come up with a plan of what to do next. Perhaps find a town? And then what? Ask for directions? To where? She could perhaps seek help from the gods . . . But she felt like they may force her back to either Olympus or Hades. Perhaps Sabé could help again. That might be her best bet. She would need to find a temple to Sabé. Where would the closest one be?

"Your sour mood completely ruins this place."

Leia stopped and spun. Sitting on a fallen tree was a woman. No, Leia corrected herself. A goddess. Immortals felt different Leia could now tell. She slowly approached the woman. The woman was tall and thin. Her face was sharp with high cheekbones and a small nose. Her eyes were slanted. Her hair was short and auburn. Her nails were long and filed into points. There was an overall feline feel to her.

She dressed in a dark teal dress that had triangular patterns sewn in on the hems. She was decked in thick gold jewelry. She wore a thick collar of gold rings on her neck and another thick gold necklace that hung across her chest. She had gold armbands and bracelets and even a gold crown that came up in three points in the center. A purple and teal kiros bird sat on her shoulder. Leia noted two more kiros birds sat on the tree next to her.

"Miraj," Leia said, recognizing the goddess. Her father had a statue made of each god and had Leia and Luke memorize each one. It was paying off now. Miraj was the goddess of passionate love, Sabé's counterpart.

"Leia," Miraj said. "I'm afraid we weren't able to meet during your short time on Olympus."

"I'm afraid not," Leia said. "If you don't mind me asking, but why are you here?"

"Because you're here, my dear."

"Do you have business with me?"

"It is the other way around. It is you who have business with me."

"Do I?"

"You want to find your little mortal friend, Han Solo."

"Oh. This is . . . I am not in love with him!" Leia said. She was not!

Miraj raised an eyebrow. "Mmmhmm," she purred as she scratched the kiros sitting on her shoulder. "It doesn't matter to me what you think of him. What does matter to me is your father."

"My . . . my father? Vader?"

Golden eyes stared at Leia. They reminded her of her father's eyes, but Miraj's cold like the gold she wore.

"Now that was a man with passionate love," Miraj said wistfully.

"You knew him?"

"Of course I did," she said. She sighed and closed her eyes. There was a yearning to her. But when she reopened her eyes the wistfulness was gone. It was replaced with anger. "And he made a _fool_ of me. You're almost a goddess yourself. Soon you will understand the way of the gods. The way of _revenge_. I have been waiting a long time for this."

"You want revenge against my father?"

"Yes, girl, I do."

"And you plan to use me to do that. I won't help you."

"Are you sure?" Miraj purred. Her tone high pitched. "For it is I who have come to help you. For you see Han Solo has a bounty on his head placed there by Jabba the Hutt. Jabba lives in a palace in the Tatooine Desert out in the edge of the Northern Dune Sea. No doubt the bounty hunter is taking him there."

Leia stilled. She had told Leia . . . everything to find Han. Miraj stood up from the trunk. She walked over to Leia. There was a heavy sway of her hips. She spun her finger in the air and suddenly a glass bottle appeared. The bottle was corked. She handed it to Leia.

"What is this?" Leia asked.

"Gorgon blood mixed with a few drops of nectar," Miraj said. "It cures petrification. Though there is a time limit. It must be used within four days of its creation, which was today."

"Oh," Leia said as she looked at the bottle in her hand. "I . . ." She hadn't even thought of that part yet. She didn't even know a cure for petrification existed. "Thank you," she whispered.

"You are welcome, child," Miraj said pleased. "Now I must be going." Then she turned and walked into the trees.

* * *

Mos Espa sat where the Arkanis River met the sea. The river would continue to wind its way into the desert, creating a small stripe of green in the otherwise harsh brown landscape. Mos Espa was a large port city that was overseen by the crime lord Jabba the Hutt. The Hutt had built his palace out in the desert around a large well the natives used to use. His palace dug deep into the earth to reach the water.

Jabba was a Hutt, a great giant slug. He welcomed many non-humans into his palace, and mostly they were of the criminal variety along with his own guards. He liked to be kept entertained whether it be from musicians or dancers or acts of violence. Sometimes all three. Currently, it was just the musicians and the dancers along with the rowdy noise of drunken fools enjoying Jabba's palace.

Jabba was enjoying the food and entertainment, but he was also watching. Watching the worms who decided to come before him. He eyed Boba Fett who always wore his armor and helmet. Fett was a well-known bounty hunter, and he had brought Jabba Han Solo. Interestingly, Han had been turned into a statue. Jabba had only laughed upon seeing it. Solo would make a fine decoration to his palace.

Jabba turned his massive head to look at the statue that stood against a wall. There was a small figure standing in front of it. They were completely cloaked. Who was that? Jabba didn't recall this person greeting him. Who was this filth who dared come into his palace without posturing themselves before them?

His eyes narrowed on the figure. He would be watching them.

* * *

Leia lurked in the shadows of Jabba's palace. It hadn't been hard to mind trick her way past the guards. She may not be a full god, but she still had some power.

The place reeked. She had come across some foul smells living in Hades, and this place could compete against those smells. It was musky and smokey and sweaty. Despite the dry heat of the desert outside, it was hot and humid inside. Everyone stank of alcohol. There were puddles of throw up and urine on the floor. A few spots Leia wondered if they were excrement. There was rotting food thrown on the floor. Rats scurried around feasting on the scraps.

She hated this place.

But for now she had to bide her time while she waited for the party to die down and everyone to fall asleep. Then she could give Han the antidote potion, and the two could leave. So she thought of Miraj to keep her mind busy. The goddess had stated she had helped Leia to get revenge on her father. But was it revenge on Vader or Skywalker?

She recalled a memory when she and Luke were still quite young. Their father was hosting a dinner with several influential people of Hades, including a few of the underworld gods. Vader had come to check in on the twins . . .

* * *

"You two should be asleep," Vader said as he walked into the large bedroom.

He had caught his two children by surprise. They were both sitting on the floor playing with wooden horses. They let out a shriek when they saw their father and both dashed to the large bed. Vader shook his head as he walked over, but there was a smile on his face. He sat down on the edge of the bed as he held the covers up for the children to crawl under.

"We can't sleep," Leia said.

"Clearly," Vader said as he pulled the covers up.

"Can't we come to your party?" Luke asked.

"It is not a party. It is a dinner," Vader said.

"It sounds like a party," Leia said. They all paused. The sound of music, laughter, and voices drifted down the hall. "Please?"

"No, young ones. You two need to sleep."

The twins groaned at the same time. Vader sighed. He leaned over and kissed both of them on the forehead.

"Can you at least tell us a story?" Luke asked.

"Yeah! A story!" Leia chimed in.

Vader paused. Both children smiled up at him. How could he deny them any wish when they looked at him like that?

"Very well," he said. Both twins let out a giggle. "What kind of story?"

"A story about you!" Leia said.

"Yeah, about you daddy!" Luke joined in.

"About me?"

"You and a princess!" Leia said.

"A princess?" Vader asked unsure.

"Surely you've met one," Leia said.

"I don't want to hear about princesses," Luke said. "I want to hear about you racing!"

"But Daddy always tells stories about him racing!" Leia said as she jabbed her elbow into her brother. "I want to hear about a princess!'

"How about," Vader said in a calm voice that instantly drew both twins attention, "I tell you about when I met the goddess of love."

Leia's eyes went wide. Her mouth fell into an 'oh' shape. Luke frowned.

"That sounds stupid," he said.

Vader ignored him.

"As you know the goddess of love was originally one goddess. She emerged out of the sea from the sea foam. But the heart is a powerful thing and love can vary greatly. The goddess was having a hard time presiding over all matters of the heart. So she had her handmaiden nymphs bury her. From the spot emerged two flowers. When they bloomed, both contained a beautiful woman. These became the new goddesses of love," Vader said.

"We already know this," Luke muttered solemnly.

"Go on," Leia urged.

"From the red rose cam Miraj, the goddess of passionate love," Vader said. "And from the pink lily came Sabé, the goddess of serene love."

"Which one did you meet?" Leia asked.

"I have met both," Vader said slowly.

"And? Were they pretty?" Leia asked. Luke rolled his eyes, but Leia did not see it. Her brown eyes were on her father. "Did you fall in love with them?"

"No," Vader said. "My heart has only ever belonged to your mother and you two little monsters." He leaned over tickled them. They both giggled and tried to squirm away from his touch. "Now, let me tell my story so you can go to bed and I can return to my dinner."

He paused, but both were quiet. He nodded.

"It had come to the attention of Olympus via a desperate prayer, that a small island had been invaded by raiders. It was an island of farmers and artists who lived their lives peacefully. They did not have warriors amongst them and stood no chance of defending themselves. I of course went to their aid," Vader said.

"As Skywalker?" Luke asked. He was getting into the story.

"Yes," Vader said softly. He did not like telling stories of his past. He had been a different man, a different god then. A fool. But he had never hidden this fact from his children. They knew a small bit of his past. They both looked at him eagerly awaiting the next part. Again, how could he not give them a story?

"When I arrived on the island, I found it empty. All the farmers and artists were gone," Vader continued. The twins softly gasped.

"Were they eaten?" Leia asked.

"Eaten?" Vader asked.

"By a monster!" Leia said.

"No, now let me tell the story. Each time you interrupt you get . . ." He leaned over and tickled them again. They squealed. Once they had settled down he continued. "What I discovered is that the islanders had been taken by slavers." The children gasped again but didn't say anything. "So I went in search of them. I found them in Zygerria, a place where its people get rich off of selling and using slaves. I dressed myself up in Zygerrian armor, and pretended to be a slaver myself hoping to find the islanders."

He paused, but the children were both quiet.

"I caught the eye of the Queen of Zygerria. I was taken to her throne room and was surprised to see it was Miraj, the goddess of passionate love. She also recognized me as a god as well. She invited me to the slave auction. When the islanders came up to be bid on, Miraj handed me a whip and told me to whip them. I refused, so she snapped a collar and binders made of adamantine on me."

"What's that?" Luke asked.

"Adamantine is a metal," Vader explained. "It is the strongest substance in all three realms. Even against gods. It is what the gates of Tartarus are made from."

"So you couldn't break them?" Leia asked.

"No, I could not."

"What happened?" Luke asked.

Vader leaned over and tickled them. "Remember the rule?" he said as they laughed and begged him to stop. He stopped and they buried themselves into the bed. Their eyes large and wide looked at their father expectantly. "I became her slave," he added.

The twin's eyes went wide. They tensed up in anticipation.

"No!" Luke said.

"Yes," Vader said. "I was not happy, as you can imagine."

"How did you get free?" Leia asked.

"Well along came the god Dooku, who at the time had already fallen. He was now Darth Tryrannus. He wanted Miraj to hand me over. He wanted me as a slave to help him fight his wars on the mortal realm. He brought his armies and attacked Miraj's palace."

"And then?" Leia prompted.

Vader paused. He already twisted the story away from the real events. He hadn't mentioned Obi-Wan, Ahsoka, or Rex. They didn't need to know those names. Didn't need to idolize them or ask for more stories about them.

"I ran away from Miraj," he said slowly. "And I came across two children. A boy and a girl. The boy had blond hair and blue eyes. And the girl had brown hair and brown eyes."

The twins eyes grew larger as they listened.

"They guided me out of the palace. You see these twins were very talented. They created a key from vines. The key worked, and my restraints fell away. I then ran back to the palace, freed the slaves, collected and ushered them all along with the twins on to a boat. We sailed back to the island. The children were returned to their home with their father."

"And their mommy?" Luke asked.

A pang of pain hit Vader's heart.

"Yes," he said softly. "With their mommy as well. All four lived happily together."

The twins smiled. Vader leaned over and kissed them both.

"Now, time to sleep," he said as he stood up. He could sense the children were tired and this time they should sleep. He gave them one last look before he turned and left them to their dreams.

* * *

Leia had always assumed her father's story wasn't true. As she grew older she realized he had added the two children in there to appeal to Luke and Leia. But as a child she had loved hearing about children just like her help her father. Maybe there was a note of truth to that story. If Skywalker had shown up, taken, and freed slaves from Miraj that would anger the goddess.

It was well past the middle of the night. Finally Jabba's palace had settled down. She wouldn't call it quiet. Loud snores filled the air. Leia made her way to where Han stood. She paused right in front of him. She pulled out the bottle and uncorked it. She placed it up to his mouth and tipped it up. Red liquid trailed out of his stones lips and down his chin.

Was this even going to work? How was he supposed to swallow it if he was a statue? There wasn't much antidote, and soon she ran out. She stuff the empty bottle back into a pouch she kept on her belt. But she noticed that Han had started to change color. The stone wasn't as grey. In fact it looked warmer. More flesh color.

Bit by bit the grey faded away. Bit by bit Han turned back into a human. He gasped and fell to his knees. Leia caught him and lowered them both to the ground.

"I can't . . . I can't see . . ." Han muttered.

"The antidote is still working," she hissed at him.

Han stilled. His face turned towards her. His eyes were shut. "Who's there?" he asked.

"Someone here to save your skin," she whispered.

"Leia?"

"Yes."

He sighed in relief. She smiled. She reached over for him.

"Come on," she said. "We have to get out of here."

"Here? Where is here?"

Before she could say a word, there was a large loud laugh. They both froze. Suddenly flames jumped to life. Jabba stood on his raised dias. Several of his guards stood around him along with Boba Fett and his albino right-hand man.

"Leia?" Han asked. His voice low. "Where are we?"


	18. Chapter 18

Adamantine. The strongest substance. Unbreakable to a god. How the kriff' did Jabba the Hutt have some? Leia felt for the thick collar around her throat. A collar she wouldn't be able to break. Attached to the collar was a thick chain. The other end of which was in Jabba's hand.

Leia had been enslaved. And everything inside of her burned. The moment she could get her hands that slug, she would use everything in her power and knowledge to end him. She wasn't just enslaved. She had been stripped and dressed in an unbelievable outfit. The top was metal and just covered her breasts. The bottom was metal that snaked around her waist with a strip of fabric in the front and back. She sat on the dais right next to the disgusting Hutt.

She was angry. A god's wrath was not to be taken lightly and neither should a god's revenge . . . _Miraj_! This was her revenge! This was how Jabba had an adamantine collar! Miraj was supposed to be the goddess of love! Oh, well two goddesses could play this game. Leia may not be a full goddess, yet, but she would one day soon. In fact she didn't even need to wait that long. She simply had to tell her father.

But the dias was made of clay and brick. She couldn't touch the ground. She couldn't touch the ground. She couldn't bang her hands or head against the earth to pray to Vader. Not that she wanted to summon her father. That would be a last resort. For now, she was determined to find a way out of this mess herself. If her father came . . . His wrath would be unquenchable if he saw her as a slave.

But that could wait. First, she had to get out of here. Jabba's servants were preparing for the day's entertainment. Whatever was going to happen, wouldn't be happening at the palace. She could hear the sound of horses and other animals outside. She tried to lean away, but Jabba pulled the chain tight. She fell back against his scaley hide. She bit her cheek to hide her choke of disgust.

A hush fell across the crowd as guards led in two people Leia instantly recognized. She first recognized Chewbacca. He stood tall over most others in the room. Walking in front of him was Ahsoka. As they approached Jabba, Leia noticed Chewie's hands were bound and a chain led from him to Ahsoka. What was going on?

Ahsoka met Leia's gaze. There was a sparkle in her teal eyes, but otherwise, her face was smooth. In fact, it leaned more towards being annoyed than anything else. Ahsoka came to a stop right in front of Jabba's dais.

"Jabba," she said without any other greeting. "I have come to collect the bounty on this Wookie."

The room was silent.

Then Jabba spoke. Leia recognized Chewie's name. Jabba's albino horned right-hand slithered out of the shadows. Leia had learned his name was Bib Fortuna.

"The illustrious Jabba the Hutt bids you welcome," Bib said. "Especially you, Chewbacca." Jabba spoke again. Bib translated, "He will gladly pay you the reward of 250 drachma."

"I want 500, no less," Ahsoka said glaring up at Jabba.

Jabba started shouting. He waved his small arms around in the air. Bib had to side step to avoid getting hit. Ahsoka was unchanged by the Hutt's angry rant. Finally the room grew quiet. Bib stepped up again.

"The mighty Jabba wishes to know why he should pay 500," he said smoothing his tunic.

Ahsoka pulled out a clear glass ball with a small stem on top. A bottle? Leia had never seen one so spherical. There was a bright red glowing liquid inside. Ahsoka shook it, so the liquid sloshed from side to side. The room had stilled. The other creatures of the palace were all watching. A few had stepped closer to see the bottle.

"This is water from the Phlegethon River," Ahsoka said. A few people gasped. Some immediately stepped away. A few eyed the bottle warrily. "So strong it is said to burn a mortal's soul away to dust. This liquid fire is quick to spread. It will consume everything in this palace easily."

There was silence except for the shifting of feet and Jabba's heavy breathing. Ahsoka let go of the bottle. Leia's heart jumped into her throat as she watched it fall. Ahsoka skillfully caught the bottle before it crashed against the floor. Then Jabba started to laugh. Once his laughter calmed down, he talked.

"Jabba says you are his kind of scum, Ahsoka of Tano. Fearless and inventive," Bib translated. "Jabba offers the sum of 350 drachma. And I suggest you take it."

"I agree," she said with a smile as she tucked the bottle away.

The crowd erupted into cheers and shouts. At once there was a celebration. The musicians started playing. Alcohol was running. Guards took Chewie away. Ahsoka had wandered towards the jugs of drinks without sparring Leia a glance. There had to be a plan. Ahsoka wouldn't have sold Chewie out like this. Whatever was going to happen, Leia had to be ready.

* * *

The heat of the desert was making sweat roll down Leia's back. She was now riding in a large vehicle called a sand barge. It sat on several large wheels pulled by a team of twelve banthas. Large red triangular sails were stretched across the top. They caught the wind to help push the barge, but it also addded shade. It was an impressive vehicle. What would Luke and her father think of it?

A sharp sadness pierced at her heart thinking of her family. When would this end? When would she finally go home? And what would happen then? What would her father do? What would he say? But Leia wondered about Luke. What would she say to him? She wanted to tell him everything. Everything she had seen. Everything she had learned.

She knew he would be excited. He would ask a million questions. He would want details about Han's ship and the sail barge. He would want to know about their mother. But she could imagine the sadness that he would hide behind his eyes. The jealousy. She was out here living a real adventure, while he was back at home most likely under house arrest. How was she going to do deal with Luke's feelings?

A sharp tug on the chain drew her out of her thoughts. Her back was pulled flush against Jabba's belly. He laughed. She turned her head to glare up at him. He laughed louder this time. He pulled her chain so she was forced to stand up. Her head was now even with his own. He pulled her close. She flinched as she saw his mouth open. She held her breath as his slimy oozing tongue licked the side of her face. Then he laughed again. The chain finally went slack.

She sat back down. She leaned over and used her scrap of a skirt to wipe the foul saliva off her skin. But it was thick and sticky, and took quite a while to scrub her face clean. The barge was huge. About the size of a house. And like Jabba's palace, there always seemed to be a party going on. A musician was in one corner. Food and wine was being passed around by servants. There was a green Twi'lek girl dressed in leather straps that handed out food. Leia had seen similar Twi'leks as dancers back at the palace.

The barge started to slow down and came to a stop. Jabba slithered over to look out one of the windows pulling Leia along with him. She put her hands against the window shutter and stared through the slats.

Golden sands rolled as far as the eye could see. A large flat wagon pulled by four banthas was nearby. Leia's hands gripped the wood tighter as she saw Han and Chewie on the wagon. Both their hands still bound. A group of guards stood on the wagon watching over them. Why had they stopped here? Where they going to throw Chewie and Han out into the sands? Let them die of exposure?

That didn't seem like Jabba's style. He had called this entertainment.

Jabba started to talk, and Bib Fortuna stepped up to his side. Bib announced, "His High Exaltedness, the great Jabba the Hutt, has decreed that Han Solo and the Wookie Chewbacca are to be terminated immediately."

Han turned towards the sail barge. But his eyes were unfocused. Had they healed? Would they heal?

"Good," Han shouted. "I hate long waits."

Jabba and Bib continued, "You will therefore be cast into the pit of Carkoon, the nesting place of the all-powerful Sarlacc."

Han leaned over to Chewie. Leia could just make out him saying, "Doesn't sound so bad."

But a coldness had settled inside Leia's stomach. A tightness had curled around her heart.

"In his belly," Bib translated, "you will find a new definition of pain and suffering as you are slowly digested over a thousand years."

"On second thought," Han said, "let's pass on that, huh?"

Chewie barked in agreement.

"Victims of the almighty Sarlacc," Bib said. This time he wasn't translating Jabba's words. "His Excellency hopes you will die honorably, but should any of you wish to beg for mercy, the great Jabba the Hutt will now listen to your pleas."

Han took a step forward. The guards stiffened. Their hands tightened around the hilts of the swords.

"You tell that slimy piece of worm-ridden filth he'll get no such pleasure from us," Han shouted. He stepped back and looked at Chewie. "Right?"

Chewie growled in agreement.

Jabba grumbled something. The guards grabbed Han by the shoulders and pushed him to the side of the wagon. The sand shifted nearby. Leia pushed herself up on her tiptoes. She could just see something slithering around the sands. Then she saw another. Tentacles she realized with a shiver. She couldn't see the pit, it was below ground and out of view. But she had heard stories of the Sarlacc. It had tentacles to wrap around its prey and pull it into its large gaping mouth hiding in a deep hole in the sand.

Jabba slowly raised his hand. He pointed it towards his throat. A clear sign of death. The guards pushed Han. He stumbled, but didn't go over the edge yet. Leia's breath caught in her throat. Her knuckles were white against the edge of the window. The wood splintered under her grip.

Then came the scream. But it wasn't from Han. It wasn't even from the wagon. It had come from above Leia on the barge. Everyone looked over. A shadow flew past the window, over the wagon, and into the pit. Leia watched as one of Jabba's thugs slid into the pit. He continued to scream as he was dragged down out of sight into the pit.

Chaos erupted. Jabba barked orders. People rushed out of the room and up the ladder to the top. The sound of battle was heard. Leia saw more people thrown off the barge. A few were grabbed by the tentacles. She caught a glimpse of Chewie swinging his bound arms at some of the guards on the wagon, but then she was yanked away from the window.

Jabba roared. His fingers pointing at different people. Bib was frantically shouting orders as well. Jabba swung his meaty arm and hit Bib on the back of the head. Bib stumbled to the ground. He pushed himself back up and then scurried away. Leia grabbed the metal chain connected to the choker around her throat. She pulled on it, but it didn't budge. Adamantine. The strongest substance in the three realms.

A thought slid into her mind. She glared up at Jabba. She glanced around the room calculating. She wasted no time the moment the plan slid into place. She jumped to her feet. She leapt to Jabba's side and ran around to his back. She jumped on to his back and flung the chain around his throat. Jabba was wriggling and writhing under her. His shouts filled the air, but they were drowned out by the sound of fighting which had broken out in the room.

She pulled on the chain, which tightened around Jabba's throat. He grabbed at the chain, but there was no breaking adamantine. She pulled the chain tighter. Jabba's voice was silent, but choking sounds did escape his mouth. She summoned every bit of her godling strength and _pulled_. There was a satisfying moment when she realized Jabba was dead. She could feel it as his soul slid out of him. His body stilled and slumped over.

She relaxed and let the chain slip through her hands. She stood on Jabba's back wondering what to do next. She was still chained up with no way out.

_You see these twins were very talented. They created a key from vines. The key worked, and my restraints fell away._

A key . . . There had to be a key! But where? Jabba wore no clothes nor belt with pouches. Surely he kept it nearby! She glanced around. She saw nothing. No chest. No pouch. No ring of keys.

"Here," came a voice.

Leia looked up to see the green Twi'lek servant. A key in her hand. A bloody long knife in the other. The Twi'lek wasted no time in inserting the key. The collar fell away, and a great weight that was inside of Leia also fell away. She had no idea it was there.

"Come on," the Twi'lek said as she grabbed Leia's arm and pulled her up.

The Twi'lek pulled her through the room. Bodies were littered about. Not all were dead.

"Let's go!" someone shouted.

Leia looked up to see a large animal man. She didn't recognize what type of creature he was. He was more human than animal though he had striped short fur. He wore tan leather armor that easily blended in with the rest of the Jabba's entourage. There was a small figure next to him dressed in Mandalorian armor. They wore a helmet that completely hid their face.

The Twi'lek woman and Leia followed the animal man and the Mandalorian out of the room and up a ladder to the top of the barge. Leia's breath caught in her throat. She stumbled to a stop. There was a man . . . But he wasn't a man. He was more than a man. But . . . he wasn't a god. A godling? Like her?

He looked about her age. Young, but not quite an adult. He had black short hair that almost seemed blue when the light hit it. His skin was tanned, and he bored two scars across his cheek as if scratched by a beast. He also wasn't alone.

There was an older man fighting beside him. He wore his hair long and tied back. He had a well trimmed beard. He also wore a strange mask that covered the top part of his face. There were no eye holes. How did he see as he slashed out with his sword? There was something off about him.

Leia didn't have time to dwell. The Twi'lek woman pulled Leia to the edge of the barge.

"Climb down," she ordered.

Leia didn't hesitate. She was glad to finally be free of this place. Her feet hit the sand. She spun and looked around.

"This way!"

It was Ahsoka. She stood at the front of the barge waving at Leia. Leia ran to her.

"Ahsoka!" Leia shouted. Ahsoka smiled. Leia looked around. "Han! Where is Han? And Chewie!"

"Don't worry," Ahsoka said. "We've got them."

She gestured behind her. Leia looked over Ahsoka's shoulder to see Chewie undoing the harnesses connecting the banthas to the barge. Han sat on one of them. A breath escaped Leia and with it came relief.

"Well we meet again," came a familiar voice that made Leia's skin crawl. She spun around.

"You!" she shouted pointing a finger at the dark skinned man. "Lando!"

He was dressed in the armor of Jabba's guards. His hands came up in a sign of surrender.

"Hey, now," he said. "Don't get angry at me. Like I could say no to Darth Vader."

"We can talk about this later," Ahsoka said. "Let's go."

Leia turned away from Lando and followed Ahsoka over to the banthas. She climbed on the one next to Han. He didn't look at her. He just aimlessly stared in front of him. Others started to climb up on the banthas. Chewie got on the same bantha with Han. Ahsoka climbed up on the one with Leia. The Twi'lek woman got on one with the masked man. The striped animal man got on one by himself. The small Mandalorian and the godling boy got on another. He held a large brown piece of fabric. He held it out to Leia.

"Here," he said. His cheeks were burning red. "To cover up with," he muttered.

Leia took it and swung it around her body. Ahsoka kicked the side of the bantha spurring it on. The whole group did the same, and they started out into the desert.


	19. Chapter 19

The sea wind felt good against Leia's skin. The sun was setting and the air was starting to finally cool down. The bright gold coast on Mos Espa was fading away. They had ridden the banthas to Mos Espa where they had boarded the ship known as _The Ghost_. Its captain was the green Twi'lek woman that freed Leia from her chains. The others that had helped with the fighting were part of _The Ghost'_s crew.

The story went that after Leia had left the camp on their way to Olympus, Ahsoka and Han had gone looking for her. Han had run into a group of bounty hunters and they captured him. Ahsoka realized that Leia was most likely on Olympus and was safe. So she decided to go after Han. She managed to track down one of the bounty hunters, and got the location of Han. She returned to the_ Falcon_, where she and Chewie headed for the island of Bespin on which Cloud City was located.

They had been there at the same time Leia had, though neither party knew of it. Ahsoka and Chewie had tried to save Han, like Leia had, but were too late. They had cornered Lando, who revealed Han's fate and where Bobba Fett was taking him. So Ahsoka concocted the rest of her plan and had called upon _The Ghost _crew for help.

They now sailed for Lothal, a port city _The Ghost_ called home. Leia had gotten rid of the slave outfit Jabba had forced her to wear. She now wore a worn but comfortable leather top over a simple a white short chiton. Her hair was done up in a single braid that fell down her back. She watched the coast slowly disappear as night fell.

Han was below deck resting. His eyesight was starting to come back, and it looked like he would make a full recovery. But Leia had felt restless below deck and had come up here for the air. Plus her mind kept going back to the sand barge. She had killed her first mortal.

She didn't regret it as Jabba the Hutt deserved to die. No, what haunted her thoughts was the memory as the banthas started away from the barge. A chill had crept up her spine. She had turned and looked back at the barge. A tall figure dressed in a long black tunic had stood on the deck of the barge. Large feathered wings come out of their back. It was a god Leia knew well. Galen Marek was the god of death. His job was to ferry the souls to the underworld. He worked for Leia's father. But he hadn't swooped down and taken Leia away back to Hades. He just watched.

_Why?_

He knew who she was. He had to know she was missing from Hades. Why hadn't he taken her back? Galen was loyal to Vader. He would not go against his lord's orders.

Galen wasn't the only thing bothering Leia. There were also two members of the ship's crew. She glanced over her shoulder. The crew sat in a circle on the upper deck talking with each other. There were smiles and laughs. Her eyes lingered on the older man who was now maskless. His name was Kanan. He had an apprentice named Ezra. The boy who was like Leia.

Who were they? What were they?

Ahsoka walked over. She joined Leia at the railing.

"You need to learn to school your thoughts better," Ahsoka said. "I can easily read what you're thinking."

"And what am I thinking?" Leia asked.

"You're thinking about Kanan and Ezra."

"True."

Ahsoka looked over at the crew. "Kanan is a demigod," she said. "His mother is the goddess Depa Billaba." Leia nodded. Billaba was one of the four gods of the wind. She was known as the East Wind. "The other is Ezra."

"Just . . . Just Ezra?" Leia asked.

Ahsoka shrugged.

"He's more than that," Leia said. "Is he a demigod? Or . . ."

"Or?"

"A godling? An immortal?"

"He might be," Ahsoka said. Her tone unsure.

"He _might_ be?" Leia asked. "I'm pretty sure he is."

Ahsoka raised an eyebrow. "You're sure?"

"Why isn't he on Olympus?"

"Why aren't you?"

"Because I had to help Han!"

"And?" Ahsoka asked.

"And?"

"Is that all? Did you like Olympus?"

Leia pursed her lips. Ahsoka laughed.

"It's ok," Ahsoka said. "I don't like Olympus much either."

"But I thought . . . you said . . ."

"Oh, don't get me wrong. It was a wondrous place like no other," Ahsoka said. "And there are times when I miss it. But I have no desire to go back."

"Then why did you help me go to Olympus? I thought you were doing that to gain the god's favor, so they would let you back in."

Ahsoka sighed. "I was cast out of Olympus once before," she said in a soft voice. "I realized that I didn't need to be amongst the gods to do good. I could do good in the mortal realm. That is why I helped you Leia. Because I want to do right by the world, but also I want to do right by you."

"I see," Leia said. She turned back to the dark sea.

* * *

Han's vision had come back. He had a hard time shifting his focus from one thing to the next, but he could see. His body was still awkward. It was stiff and sore. He tired easily, but he could deal with it. He always had dealt with whatever the gods had thrown at him. Including a literal goddess-to-be.

Leia was at the bow of the ship staring out at the waves. He slowly lowered himself down to sit beside her. They sat there in silence watching the waves and feeling the wind.

"We will reach Lothal tomorrow," Han said.

Leia only nodded.

"What will you do then?" he asked.

She looked over at him. Strands of her hair had broken free from the single braid she wore her hair in.

"What . . . Will I do?"

"I mean, you made it to Olympus," he said. "You going to go back?"

She scrunched up her face. "I hadn't planned on it . . . Plus, we still have yet to solve the problem of my father wanting to torture your mortal soul endlessly when you die."

This time it was he who flinched. "Ah, yeah. That," he muttered. "Your dad is quite . . . "

He remembered being dragged into the room on Cloud City. Leia was small compared to the massive man standing behind her. Han had only seen Darth Vader from a distance when he was at the feast, and then Vader had been covered in his armor. This time he was dressed in a fine black long chiton with silver and red detailing. But what stood out to Han, what haunted his sleep, was that stare. Golden eyes circled in red. Eyes that seemed to glow. Eyes that sent a cold like Han had never felt through his body.

He didn't want to ever be face to face to Darth Vader again whether he be living or dead.

"Not sure what else there is to do," Han said. "I mean the point of going to Olympus was to gain the gods' favor to avoid Vader's wrath. But you already went there. Maybe you could go back and convince a god or goddess to help me out?"

She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Or, you will be a full goddess soon. Maybe you could grant me a miracle?" he said smiling.

She rolled her eyes. "I don't know how much help I would be," she muttered.

"Take it Olympus wasn't all that great?"

"Oh it was. It was spectacular, but . . ."

She looked out at the sea. It was a look he recognized. There were always beautiful places out there, but nothing ever compared to seeing more. That sense of travel and discovery. Or maybe it was that she had learned that even the most beautiful places, were only a thin layer of a paint over.

"I've been thinking," she said slowly. She turned to look at him. His breath caught in his throat. Her eyes were large and brown. There was something golden about them. Perhaps a small note of her father in her. "I want to find my mother's heart."

"Uh . . . what? Your mother's _heart_?"

"It was stolen from her. A man named Palpatine took it so he could be an immortal. If we could find it, we could restore my mother. And . . . my father has a large reward for the heart. He would give anything to have it. Anything to restore my mother. _Anything_, Han."

That was not something one could ignore. A favor from Darth Vader? You could ask him for anything? This went beyond the riches of the earth that Vader lorded over. This could go into one's own life. The ability to cheat death. Vader had that power.

"Ok," Han said slowly. "How do we find this heart?"

"That's the problem," Leia said. "We would have to find Palpatine, and so far he hasn't been easy to find."

"Well let's start with the basics. What do we know about him? What does he look like?"

She pursed her lips. "I don't know," she admitted.

Han groaned. "You don't know? How are you supposed to find this heart if you don't know anything about the man who took it?"

"Well I was going to ask!"

"Ask who?"

"We could start with Ahsoka," Leia said. "She might know."

The two looked over the shoulders to the back of the boat. Ahsoka was talking to the man Kanan.

"Well, let's ask," he said standing up.

"Wait. Right now?" she said scrambling to her feet. She managed to stand up before he could. He was still slow.

"What else are we doing?" Han said as he slowly made his way down the deck.

Ahsoka and Kanan stopped talking as Han approached.

"I see you are slowly becoming more human and less statue," Ahsoka commented.

"Though he does sort of move like one," Kanan said.

How did this blind guy know how he moved? He couldn't even see Han.

"Ahsoka," Leia said. "I have a question." She paused, and Ahsoka nodded. Leia took a deep breath. "I want to find my mother's heart."

Ahsoka's teal eyes widened.m"You want to what?" she whispered.

"Find and restore my mother's heart," Leia said. She was much more confident this time around.

"Do you . . . Do you know how impossible that is?" Ahsoka asked.

"Sounds rather simple to me," Han said. "Find the heart. Give it back."

Ahsoka shot him a dark look. "It's not that simple. Wherever Palpatine has hidden, not even the gods have been able to find him. Not just a god, but _gods_. I'm sure every god and goddess at one point has searched for that man. Your own father . . . He . . ."

Leia flinched and tensed up. A frown pulled on her face. "I know," she said tersely. "I know what he did. But I'm not going to give up on this, Ahsoka. I have to _try_."

"And we'll need to know about Palpatine," Han added.

Ahsoka looked from Han to Leia. Then she said, "Palpatine was the Chancellor of the Senate on Coruscant. Holder of the Great Peace. Anakin considered him a friend. He would often visit Palpatine in the mortal realm. But then the war broke out . . . And he lured your mother to him with the promise of justice and ending the war. Then he stabbed her and carved out her heart. He was never to be seen by the gods again."

"Ok, but how does that help us find him?" Han asked. "What does he look like? What do we know about him personally? If he was the Chancellor, surely there is some art of him. A statue or a painting?"

"There might be something on Coruscant," Kanan said.

"Palpatine was an older man. White hair that was receding a bit," Ahsoka said. "Pale. He liked expensive things. Always had fine robes and the best wines."

"Sounds like a lot of politicians," Han grumbled.

"You could ask the Dragon."

All four turned to see the green Twi'lek captain Hera walk up.

"The what?" Han asked.

"He's an informant," Hera explained. "A very good informant. But he's also very expensive and hard to find."

"And how do you know all of this?" Ahsoka asked.

"My father used his services once or twice," Hera said. There was a bitter note to her words. "Once we get to Lothal I can send a few messages out. See what I can find."

"If not, we can always go to Coruscant," Han said as he looked at Leia and shot her smile.

* * *

It was good to be back on his ship. His _Millenium Falcon_. It had been docked at Lothal waiting for them. Hera had discovered the current location of the Dragon, and now Han, Chewbacca, Ahsoka, and Leia were sailing towards the small vacation island of Anthan Prime. Luckily it was close to Lothal, so they were able to make it there relatively fast.

It was a small island with a village that was built up on a hillside that faced a clear blue lagoon. It was beautiful. Night was falling as they weighed anchor. But Leia was too anxious to wait for daybreak. Chewbacca stayed with the ship, as the other three made their way to the island. The town was alive even at night. Fires burned from lanterns and torches. Music was heard coming from all directions. People of all types walked the streets. The smell of wine hung heavily in the air.

Ahsoka led them down a slim alleyway, through a door, and into a large room with small tables set up. Each table had a polis board set up on it.

"Han," Ahsoka said. "You wait here. Keep a watch out."

"A watch for what?" he asked.

"Only two of us can meet with the Dragon," Ahsoka said.

"Fine," he grumbled and watched as Ahsoka and Leia walked to the back of the room. They disappeared down a hallway.

Han walked over to one of the empty polis tables. He looked at the gameboard. It was divided into small squares. One side stood the white pawns with the black dogs on the other. Polis wasn't his kind of game. He liked games that had a bit more to do with luck and cunning.

"Care for a game?" a feminine voice asked him.

He turned, a smile on his face, but it fell the moment he saw her. The air completely left his body. She was stunning. She wore a headband of braided leather and beads. Her hair was curled around it and tumbled in waves down her back. She wore a dark chiton that she had layered so it cut a deep V down her chest. She wore a necklace made of a black cord and a gold pendant. It was half a circle with a smaller half inside of it.

And she looked completely different from the last time he had seen her. When he had thought she was dead.

"Qi'ra?"


	20. Chapter 20

"You must be the Dragon," Ahsoka said.

"Please, call me the Ante," the man said.

Leia wasn't sure if 'man' was the right word. He clearly wasn't human, but she had never seen anything like him before. His skin was a pale grey color. He had no eyes. Only black elongated holes. The same for his nose,it was just two slits. His face looked like a skull with the way the skin was tight across the forehead. But she could see the muscles that connected his jaw to his cheeks under the skin. And his skin loose around his neck. He wore a pale grey robe that blended in his skin color.

He sat in a chair against the wall. A long tall table was in between the women and the man.

"And you are Ahsoka, former apprentice of Skywalker," the Ante said. Then he looked at Leia, or well his face turned towards her. "And you are the daughter of Vader and Amidala."

"You are well informed," Ahsoka said.

"Anything worth knowing has passed through me," he said with a smile. Leia noticed he had two sharp canine teeth that poked out of his lower mouth.

"Then perhaps you could help us," Ahsoka said. "We're looking for Palpatine. And if you know all that you claim to know, you know why."

Leia could feel his gaze on her.

"I do," he said after a moment. "Darth Vader, Lord of Hades, has quite an impressive bounty on him. Though I have a feeling that is not why you're seeking Palpatine." He paused as he continued to stare at Leia.

"Is it wrong to want my own mother alive?" she snapped.

"Of course not," he replied. "However, such information will cost you."

Ahsoka let out a small laugh. "You're saying you know where he is?"

"I do."

"Then why . . . Why haven't you done anything? If you want money so bad, you could have cashed in on Vader's bounty yourself!"

"I am not such a man," the Ante said. "I am an informant. I am not one for action. And Sheev Palpatine is a very dangerous man. He stole the heart of a goddess. He is not one to take lightly. And the price of his location is very expensive. A price that is expected upfront."

Ahsoka pulled up a sack she had hanging off her belt. She pulled out the small round bottle and placed it on the table. The Ante leaned over and looked at the bottle.

"Fires from the Phlegethon," he said. He leaned back. "Nice, but not enough."

Ahsoka said nothing as she pulled out a second item. Leia recognized it. It was the collar Jabba had placed around her neck. When had they managed to collect that? Ahsoka placed it on the table.

"Ahhh. How rare. A collar of adamantine," he purred. "But still not enough."

Ahsoka pulled out a small vial and placed it on the table. The Ante leaned over and grabbed it in his large meaty hands. He held the vial up. It was filled with a thick golden liquid. Then he put it down on the table.

"Still not enough," he said.

Ahsoka groaned. She glanced over at Leia, who nodded. If it was for her mother, Leia was ready to give almost anything.

"How many more vials would it take?" Ahsoka asked slowly.

* * *

Leia rubbed her arm in hopes of soothing away the soreness. But she had no regrets. The Ante had given them the information they wanted. It had just cost them some golden ichor. They walked back into the large room with all the polis tables. Han had his back to them. He was talking to a lady.

"We're ready to go," Ahsoka said as she walked over to Han.

Han stopped talking and turned them. He wore a goofy smile on his face.

"So where are we headed?" he asked.

Leia got a good look at the woman. She was pretty. She wore a dark dress with her hair in well-kept curls. She reminded Leia of a succubus she might befriend in Hades. Beautiful but lethal. She chastised herself. This wasn't Hades, and this woman was a mortal.

"Coruscant," Ahsoka said.

"Wait . . . I thought that was Plan Beta," Han said.

"It's become Plan Alpha."

"Coruscant?" asked the woman. "I just so happen to be headed to Coruscant myself. I was looking to see if I could find a ship to bring me and my cargo there."

Han turned back to the woman. His smile grew.

"That is," she said in a slow voice with a smile on her face, "if you're still in that business. I can pay."

"Of course!" he said far too quickly for Leia's taste.

"Han," Ahsoka said. "We don't have time for this."

"It's not much cargo," the woman continued. "Just ten pithoi jugs. It won't be much to load and unload them."

Ahsoka crossed her arms across her chest.

"Sure," Han said.

The woman smiled. "Thanks, Han," she said softly. She placed a hand on Han's upper arm. Did she know Han? The way she said his name made it sound like they did know each other. "Meet me at the Venix's dock first thing in the morning. I'll be ready."

She smiled at Leia and Ahsoka, and then turned and walked away.

"Han," Ahsoka muttered lowly. "We cannot be taking on a customer."

"Really?" Han said finally turning away from the door. "We do have to pay for food and supplies somehow."

"Who was that woman?" Leia asked. "It looked like you knew each other."

"Ah that was . . . Qi'ra," Han said shyly as he looked away.

Leia froze. Did he say Qi'ra? As in, the woman he had entered Hades to try and save from death? _That_ Qi'ra? His lady love? That beautiful woman? No wonder he was so eager to take her as a passenger.

Ahsoka urged them to head back to the ship. The three were quiet. Leia walked behind the other two. She just glared at Han's stupid head. How had she forgotten about Qi'ra? The lady that had started this all? She had tricked Han into thinking she was dead. He had risked his life sneaking into Hades to try and get her back. If Luke hadn't been at the Acheron River when Han crossed, he probably would have never made it more than an hour or so.

She finally understood what her father said when he meant mortals were foolish. Why were gods and mortals bound to each other? While did immortals even have a purpose? Her father said it was to help run the world. To govern over nature. But both her parents had purposes that had nothing to do with nature. They had to do with stupid mortals. Would her purpose also be tied to mortals? She hoped not. She hoped she was a goddess of spring or wind or anything else! Animals would be nice.

A large explosive sound caused her to stumble. She fell into Han, who shouted and twisted around. She looked behind her to see a column of fire stretching high into the sky over the rooftops of the village. Han wrapped his arms around her waist to keep her steady.

"What is that?" Han asked.

Shouts were filling the air. People were running in different directions. A bell was ringing loudly in the distance.

"The bottle . . ." Ahsoka said softly.

"The what?" Han asked.

"It had fire from the Phlegethon," Ahsoka said.

Leia pushed herself Han freeing herself from his warm arms. The flames seemed to be growing.

"Why would the Ante break the bottle here?" Leia asked.

"I don't know," Ahsoka said. "But we shouldn't linger here. Phlegethon fire can consume all. I do not know how far it will spread."

They wasted no time in hurrying back down to the water. They paused as they reached the beach. They turned around and saw a good chunk of the village on fire.

"We should get back to the _Falcon_ and set sail," Ahsoka said. "We should not linger here."

"And what about Qi'ra?" Han asked.

"Leave her," Ahsoka said.

"I can't leave her here after _this_!" Han waved up on at the fire. "We wait until morning. If Qi'ra is at the dock, then we take her. The _Falcon_ is my ship. My decision."

He turned and marched down the beach to where the _Falcon_ waited. Ahsoka placed her hands on her hips. She sighed, shook her head, and followed after him. Leia waited a moment longer as she watched the flames light up the night sky. She turned, but froze midway as a familiar cold crawled up her neck. She spun back around. It took her a moment, but she quickly spotted him.

"Galen," she said.

Galen Marek stepped out of the shadows of a fishing hut. He was as he always had been. Dressed in a long black chiton. His dark hair kept short. He wore no beard. He did not wear his feathered wings.

"Princess Leia," he said in a smooth voice.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

He looked over at the fire. "I'm doing my job," he said. "Following my purpose." He looked back at her. "The real question is, what are _you_ doing here?"

"I . . . I have something I must do," she said.

"Hmmm."

"Are you not here to bring me back to Hades?" she pushed. This was the second time they had seen each other in a matter of days.

"No," he said. "But I will ask if you would like to go back. I could bring you back to your home."

"I can't . . . Not yet," she said. Especially after learning where Palpatine was. She was so close.

"I see. I had hoped you would return for your brother's sake," he said in a soft voice.

"For my brother's sake?" she asked. Galen and Luke were close. They often dueled or raced together. They might consider each other friends. "Is he just jealous that he's not here? Most likely being kept locked up by our father."

Galen tilted his head. "You do not know . . ."

Something heavy pulled at her insides. The cold was crawling around her neck and down to her heart.

"I do not know what?"

"When you were taken from Hades, your brother fell into a deep sleep. He has turned cold. Nothing can wake him. Your father believes returning you home is the only thing that will cure him," Galen explained.

The cold squeezed her heart. It sucked the air right out of her.

"Wha- what?" she stuttered. "Luke is . . . Has he been like this the whole time?"

"Since shortly after you left, yes. Lord Vader theorizes it happened the moment you left the underworld."

Luke . . . She had always imagined he was just going about his normal life in Hades. It was possible Father had limited Luke to the Palace after Leia disappeared. Vader could be overprotective. But it wouldn't be the first time for the twins to be under house arrest. There was plenty to do within the vast palace of Vader.

However, that wasn't the case. The entire time she had been in the mortal realm, Luke had laid asleep. Why? What had happened? Was it really their separation that had caused this? And why had it only affected Luke? Leia had felt nothing.

What should she do? She couldn't just leave Luke like that. He was . . . He was her twin. Her other half. It was him she missed the most. When she watched the waves, she thought of him. How he would love the ships and sailing. He would love everything about the mortal world. And he needed to know everything about their mother and their father.

Oh, Luke . . .

She looked at Galen. He stood there expectantly. She could take up his offer. She could return home to Vader and Luke. She could tell Father what she had learned from the Ante. Let him deal with Palpatine. But . . .

"I have to stay," she said.

She had to do this. Perhaps she didn't quite trust her father as she used to. He had hidden so much from her. Plus the way he handled things . . . what he had done to Han. What he had done to the mortal realm after his wife's heart had been stolen. What if Vader lost control again? What if Palpatine got away? Something inside her told her she was the one that had to do this.

"I figured," Galen said. He didn't sound surprised. "It is why your father's orders changed."

"They changed?"

"Kenobi came and spoke to your father."

"Kenobi . . . He went to Hades?"

"Yes. He said your father should stop his hunt for you. He believes you are finding your purpose. You are undergoing your trial to godhood."

"Kenobi said that?" she asked. "And . . . and what did my father say?"

"He agreed, but he would only give you a week. If you hadn't found your purpose by then, he would resume his attempts to bring you home."

"A week . . . that is not long at all," she said.

"Especially since three days have already passed."

"What?" she shouted. "That does not leave me with much time at all!"

"No. It does not. Whatever is calling you here, you best hurry it along."

"And what if I don't hurry? What if it's true? What if this is my trial? My father just can't stop that!"

"That is between the two of you," Galen said. "I simply follow orders."

Leia huffed. "How typical of you," she muttered.

"I must go," he said with a sigh. He glanced back at the fire. "I have souls to collect."

"Wait. Can you tell me one thing?"

He looked at her expectantly.

"Is one of the souls you have to collect, is one of them called the Ante?" she asked.

He closed his eyes and tilted his head back. Then he reopened them. "Yes," he said. "He was the first one to die tonight. Is that all?"

"Yes," she whispered. "Thank you."

Galen nodded and returned to the shadows. He disappeared amongst them. Leia stood there a while watching the flames. So it had been the bottle, but why? The Ante didn't seem like someone who would be so careless. He also didn't seem like someone who wanted to die. And if that was the case, was it someone else that had broken the bottle? Another customer? Someone who couldn't afford the prices?

She had a feeling something wrong had happened to the informant. She finally turned away from the village and the flames. She had a tough argument ahead of her of convincing Han to set sail tonight. She didn't have a lot of time left before her father would drag her back home.


	21. Chapter 21

Leia did not win the argument about leaving during the night. The had stayed until morning. Before the sun rose, they made for the dock. Qi'ra stood waiting for them. She had changed her outfit to a light grey leather top over a short black chiton. She had a black leather belt hanging on her hips. There was a long knife strapped to it. Her brown hair was braided into a bun behind her head.

It did not take long to load up the ten jugs. They were on the sea as the sun crested the horizon. Qi'ra fit in smoothly amongst the crew of the ship. She could understand Chewbacca. She would tease the droids. And mostly she would be around Han. The two would reminiscence about their shared past. Apparently the two had grown up together on the island of Coreilla as orphans.

Leia couldn't stand watching it, so she went below deck. She flopped down on a pile of cloth that was kept to repair the sails. She eyed the jugs. They had been placed in a rack and tied up with rope. Qi'ra had claimed she worked for a politician at Coruscant who had a taste in a rare wine. She was bringing these jugs back for him.

But Leia didn't recall seeing any farms or grapevines on Anthan Prime. It was quite a small island. It mostly flourished as a vacation spot and a bit of a fishing village. It wasn't a trading town either. So why was Qi'ra getting wine there? Perhaps someone else had brought it there? Odd place to drag out ten large jugs to.

She pushed herself off the cloth and walked over to the nearest jug. They were plain red jugs. No designs had been carved into them. They had the simple small handles at the top for ropes to slide through, but otherwise they just looked like plain jugs. She looked at the cloth and wax seal caking the lid. The lid was small, which was usual for wine or liquid jugs. She grabbed the seal and wiggled it. It was on tight.

She focused a bit harder. She could feel the wax softening. She twisted and the seal came off. She leaned over and peered into jug. It was dark but she could see dark liquid in there filled up almost to the rim. She sighed. She was about to put the seal back on, when she smelt it. She paused and took a big whiff. She knew this smell.

She closed her eyes as she tried to place it, but couldn't. But it did remind her of home. Of Hades and the underground. If only it was mixed with the smell of wood smoke and oil from the braziers. Perhaps a bit of that moldy mushroom smell and the smell of fresh dirt. It would have been perfect.

"_Smell is the strongest agent for memories._"

Leia's grandmother had once told her that one day when she and Luke had snuck out of the palace to the Elysian Fields.

"_It is what I miss the most_," she said. "_There are no smells here_."

The twins looked out at the beautiful landscape of swaying grass and flowers. But as Leia took in a deep breath she realized there was no smell here. Her grandmother laughed.

"_Why should there be smells if the dead here do not have noses?_"

Leia and Luke only looked at their grandmother. She looked human. She had a nose. Grandmother touched her own nose.

"_Remember, dear ones, this is only an illusion. My mortal body is long gone_."

"_Do you miss it_?" young Leia had asked.

"_At times yes_," Grandmother said. "_But do nor worry about me, little ones. I am happy here_."

Yes, this smell coming from the jug made her think of home. Of the cold smooth marble halls of her father's palace. Of the constant darkness. Of the whispers of shades. The stories the dead would tell you if you listened. She had friends amongst them. She had family, too. Her grandmother.

Then there was her father and Luke. Her big, strong father. He often wore a serious and stern face, but when he laughed- oh, it was a joyous sound. It always made Luke and Leia laugh as well. He could be such a doting father. If the twins liked something, he did his best to bring to cater to them. He created a place for horses. A lake to race boats in. He even built a theatre because he knew how much his children loved stories. Yes, he could be strict and overprotective. But he would kiss his children on the forehead each morning and each night.

And then there was Luke. Oh, her sweet brother Luke. The sun to their father's night. He shone. He truly shone. Their father sometimes called him his golden boy. Luke was energetic. He loved all things that could go fast. He loved a thrill. As children, he and Leia would play in the tunnels of the underworld. As they grew, they explored every inch of the realm of the dead the could.

But Luke was also soft. He would brush and braid her hair. They would lay together and stay up talking long after they should have been asleep. He would often talk about his purpose and godhood. He wanted to know what kind of god he would be. He wanted to see the rest of the world, the other two realms. It wasn't odd to find him lurking besides entrances to the mortal realm with a wistful look on his face.

It should have been him up here. This was everything he had ever hoped and dreamed for. And now . . . and now he was in a cold dark sleep. It wasn't fair. Tears pooled in her eyes. She missed Luke. She missed home. She even missed her father. She longed to embrace them both. To wrap her arms around them and for them to hold her back.

She wiped the tears from her face. She sealed the jug back up and went back to the pile of cloth. She curled up on it and fell asleep with tears in her eyes.

* * *

"Then you tripped and spilled the whole thing all over the port master," Qi'ra said.

Han laughed. "His skin turned red to match that wine," he said.

The two laughed together. They sat at the very back of the ship side by side. Chewie stood at the rudder with Ahsoka sitting nearby sharpening her twin blades on a whet stone. The laughter had died down and a comfortable silence fell between them.

He glanced over at Qi'ra. He recalled seeing her pale still body. He remembered his anguished cries as he scooped her up in his arms. How she was so cold and limp. How his own promise that he would come back for her echoed in his mind until he decided to go into Hades itself. He hadn't asked her earlier. He had been a bit too shocked. Then they had just fallen into their old comfortable ways, but he couldn't put it off for long.

"Qi'ra . . ." he said. "What happened . . . back on Savareen with Dryden? I thought . . . I thought you died."

Her face fell. It stiffened into something shielded.

"It was the only way," she said softly. "I had to get away from the Crimson Dawn."

"But Dryden was dead by then."

She looked over at him. There was a cold sharpness to her eyes. He was taken aback by them. He didn't recall her eyes looking that.

"Dryden was a puppet," she said. "There was another who pulled the strings of the gang. He would have killed me if I reported to him that Dryden was dead."

"So you faked your own death?"

"I didn't have any other option, Han."

"You could have come with me," he said. "Join my crew."

She smiled sadly. "And have the Crimson Dawn eventually find me? And drag you into it? I couldn't do that to you."

"And how is what you're doing now any better?" he asked bitterly.

There was tightness in his chest. He realized he was uneasy. When had being around her become uncomfortable?

"My employer is . . . He's well connected. He's able to protect me."

_Did he_? Han asked himself. Qi'ra had traveled with no guards. Didn't even have a ship. How was this employer protecting her?

"And what about you?" she asked. "What trouble have you gotten into now?"

"What makes you think there's trouble?"

She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Ok, there might be a small amount of trouble."

"Mmmhmmm," she said then smiled. He used to chase after that smile. It used to make his heart flutter like how Leia's smile did. "Does it have to do with that girl? You always had a weakness for big brown eyes."

His cheeks burned red for a moment. Instantly he thought of Leia. He looked at Qi'ra and her brown eyes. They were nothing like Leia's. Leia's eyes . . . by the gods, Leia's eyes had stars in them. Or maybe it was the sun, because it would warm him instantly when he saw it.

"So why Coruscant?" Qi'ra asked.

"Well we're trying . . . trying to find a way to cure Leia's mother," Han said. She just stared at him. "And I might have angered her dad. He's a guy you don't want pissed off at you."

"Ah, now that sounds more like you," she said. "But Coruscant is a good place to go. That island has almost everything. If there is anything you need, let me know. My boss has a lot of connections there."

"Thanks," he said softly. "I'll keep that in mind."

She paused as she looked at him. Should he have said more? Was she expecting something else? She quickly looked away. He opened his mouth, but no words come out. He wanted to tell her she always welcomed here. She always had a spot on his ship, but . . .

She had faked her death. He had thought she died and couldn't accept she was dead, and so he found his way down into Hades in Lord Vader's very own palace. And there he met a goddess.

_Leia._

Leia who had come to his aid. She had come to Jabba's palace all on her own to rescue him. She didn't have to. He had taken her away from her home and family. She had gone to Olympus, kriffin' Olympus, and decided she would still rescue him.

Would Qi'ra have done the same? He wanted to say she would. She would have found a way to rescue him from Jabba. She would have gone to Hades if it was him who died. He wanted to say it, he really did. She would have gone to the end of the Earth for him. But he couldn't. He couldn't say it honestly.

He slowly got up and walked away. He glanced around for Leia, but didn't see her on the decks. She must have gone down into the hold. He ran a hand through his hair. He wished she was here.

They had made it to Coruscant as the sun was setting. Leia had made an argument the night before about leaving Anthan Prime as soon as possible, but he had stayed for Qi'ra. But Han had pushed the _Falcon_ to go as fast as it could. They docked close to the senate district.

"Fastest ship in the seas," Qi'ra said as she stood on the dock after paying the dock master. "The gods must smile down on you."

"Or perhaps just a goddess," Han muttered under his breath.

"I'm going to meet with my employer. I'll arrange for a wagon to come pick up the jugs in the morning."

"Your boss still going to be up?" Han asked.

Qi'ra stepped up to him, closing the gap between them. She placed a hand on his arm. A month ago he would have leaned into that touch and savored her warmth and smell. Instead he just stood there glancing down at her hand.

"My employer is the Emperor," she said in a soft voice.

"The . . . the _Emperor_?"

"Like I said, if you need any help, let me know."

He didn't know what to say. His mouth was open but nothing came out. She smiled, nodded, and then walked away. He stood there watching her go.

* * *

Leia climbed back onto the decks. The sleep had been welcomed, though she felt groggy. The sky was turning purple with bright oranges still on the horizon. The ship was still. No longer did it rock with the waves. She quickly discovered that was because they had made it to Coruscant. She found the rest of the crew eating at the back of the ship.

"Where's Qi'ra?" Leia asked as she sat down between Ahsoka and Chewie.

"Left," Ahsoka said dryly. She was clearly not impressed with the woman.

"So what's the plan?" Han asked. "I thought we were only going to come here if the Dragon didn't give us any information."

"The Dragon did give us good information," Ahsoka said. "Which you would know that if you hadn't been drooling all over Qi'ra this entire time."

"I was not drooling!"

"Figure of speech," Ahsoka snapped back at him. "But Palpatine is here on Coruscant. That is what the Dragon said."

"Wait, isn't that where he was last seen? He never left? He's been here the whole time?" Han asked.

Ahsoka shrugged. "It's possible, but I wouldn't know for sure."

"So did the Dragon tell you anything more? This may not be a huge island, but it is completely covered in one giant city."

"Yes," she said. "Palpatine is in the palace."

A tense silence fell for a moment. And then another. Chewbacca let out a soft growling sound.

"The palace?" Han finally said. "Like the Imperial Palace? Where the Emperor lives? The most secure building on this island?"

"He is the Emperor," Ahsoka said. "Sheev Palpatine changed his name to Sidious and became the Emperor."

Chewie roared.

"How does _no one else_ know this? How have the _gods_ themselves not noticed that the Emperor was actually Palpatine? _They're gods_!" Han said.

"But they're not all knowing," Ahsoka added. "In fact there are quite a number of stories about mortals tricking or besting the gods. You might have heard of the story of the mortal who snuck into Hades and took Vader's own daughter."

She gave him a pointed look. Leia smiled. Though what Ahsoka said was true. There was one mortal that kept escaping from Galen, god of death, for years because he kept using the wrong name each time Galen showed up to take his soul. How hard had the gods looked for Palpatine? How hard had her father? Then again, how well had Palpatine hidden himself? Did he have help? Help from a god? Is that why the Ante had never revealed Palpatine's location? Fear from an immortal? Is that why he had died? Had someone targeted him?

Han muttered, "I thought this was going to be easy. I thought we were just finding some old guy holed up in some hut or something. But no. It's the Emperor. The karkin' Emperor."

"No one said this would be easy," Leia said. She was restless. She needed to get her mother's heart, go home and help Luke. "But we just need to find a way in."

Han shifted uncomfortably. "Well there might be a way," he said. Everyone's attention fell on him. "Qi'ra . . ." There was a sharp tightness in Leia's chest. "The man she works for is the Emperor."

"When did she mention this?" Ahsoka asked.

"When she got off the boat and you two weren't eavesdropping," Han barked back.

"So those jugs are for the Emperor . . ." Leia said.

"Maybe we could offer to help take them to the palace," Han said.

"It's a start," Ahsoka said, "But it may not work. They may not let strangers into the palace. They have servants and slaves for such tasks. Plus we can't be heavily watched."

"Qi'ra said if there was anything I needed, I could ask her," Han added.

"Let's just ask her to help us meet the Emperor," Ahsoka said sarcastically.

"At least I'm thinking of ideas!"

Ahsoka and Han glared at each other as a silence stretched. The tightness in Leia's chest had yet to ease.

"There's something strange about that wine in those jugs," Leia said. "I opened one up."

"You opened one up?" Han said taken aback.

"I was curious," Leia said with a shrug. "But they smelled funny. Reminded me of home. Of Hades."

"Chewbacca," Ahsoka said. "Let's bring up one of those jugs and check it out."

The two got up and at once disappeared below deck. Han glared at Leia.

"I can't believe you opened one!" he hissed. "She was a paying customer."

"Who is working for the man who stole my mom's heart!" Leia hissed back. Han leaned back then nodded as if agreeing.

Ahsoka returned followed by Chewie carrying one of the large jugs. They placed it down on the deck, and everyone gathered around it. It was the same one Leia had opened earlier, so the seal came off easily. Ahsoka leaned in and took a whiff. Chewbacca and Han did the same. The Wookie let out a roar.

"Yeah, that's not wine," Han said.

Ahsoka dipped her hand into the jug. She pulled it out and brought it to her face. She smelled it, but didn't taste it. Then she shook her hand and wiped it on the skirt of tunic.

"No wonder it made you think of the underworld," Ahsoka said. "That's embalming liquid."

Silence.

"Embalming liquid?" Han asked.

"They use it in the South across the sea. I spent some time there after I was cast out of Olympus. They believe in keeping dead bodies as lifelike as possible for they believe the souls will return to the body. They use embalming liquid to help keep the body from rotting."

They all just quietly stared at the jug for a moment.

"Why would the Emperor want ten whole giant jugs of the stuff?" Han asked.

"To preserve his body," Leia said softly. "My mother's heart may grant him immortality, but his body is still that of a mortal. By now his body must be quite aged."

"So he drinks this stuff?" he asked. He made a face of disgust as he looked at the jug. "Hey Chewie. Let's toss this stuff off the side."

"Oh?" Ahsoka said. "And what will you tell your sweet Qi'ra when she comes to pick up her jugs?"

"I can deal with Qi'ra," he said.

"She could get mad," Leia said. "What will you do then?"

"I said I would deal with her," Han said. "Don't worry about me princess, I can handle myself." He flashed her a grin. The tightness in her chest finally started to fade away.

"An angry woman isn't one to simply brush aside," Ahsoka added. "You do this, and you might not be able to get back with her."

"I've got this," he said confidently.

The tightness came back, and this time it was twice as strong. Leia was having a hard time breathing. "You know," she said. She found her voice surprisingly calm. "I have met plenty of scorn women in Hades. I wouldn't simply brush her aside. Plus . . ." Her heart was pounding in her ears. "I mean. After everything you did for her. You went to Hades to for her. You don't need to do this."

"Yes, I do," he said. He ran a hand through his hair. "Plus . . . It's changed between her and I." Leia perked up. "And true I went into the underworld for her, but at least I didn't leave empty handed."

He smiled at her, and warmth spread through her. She smiled back. She did miss home. She did want to go back to her family, but she realized that she also liked the mortal realm. She liked the changing sky and feeling the breeze. She loved seeing all the living people. Including Han. But she would never admit that to him.

"Let's refill the jugs with sea water once we dump them out," Han suggested.

"A good idea," Leia said, "But it doesn't help us find a way to get to Palpatine." An idea started to form in her mind, "Maybe," she said, "we shouldn't toss the embalming fluid into the water as it might come in handy. Where can we get some empty jugs? I think I have a way to get to Palpatine."


	22. Chapter 22

Two days later a fierce storm battered the island of Coruscant. Han Solo and Chewbacca's hands were in chains. The Imperial City Guard marched them straight into the palace. The place was huge with rare marble and gold inlays. Patterned mosaics in beautiful and vibrant colors danced across the floor. Paintings filled the gaps between columns. They often showed a man dressed in a black robe. He was larger than any of the other figures. _Must be the Emperor_, Han thought to himself. The images, when the hood of the robe was down, showed a pale, eldery man with white hair.

The guards dragged them through the palace. They stopped in a grand hallway. It was so tall the light of the torches couldn't reach the ceiling. In front of them was a grand doorway. Rich red silk with a gold hem and tassels covered the entrance. The room beyond must be the throne room.

Qi'ra stood in front of the silk waiting. She was dressed in an all black long chiton dress and gold jewelry that sparkled in the lamplight. She did not looked pleased. The procession stopped as they reached her.

"I can't believe you," she hissed at Han. "You stole my cargo, replaced it with sea water, and then tried to sell it off! As if I wouldn't notice!"

"Hey, did you expect anything less of me?" Han asked.

She took a step closer to him. They were almost touching. "I told you if you needed help to ask me," she whispered. "You don't have to resort to stealing."

"I needed the coin and fast," he said. "I didn't think you would loan the amount I needed."

She paused. Her eyes narrowed. "And yet you could afford the Dragon's prices."

"The . . . Dragon? How did you know about him? Wait . . . is that why you were on Anthan Prime? You were there to see the Dragon as well."

"I was there to silence the Dragon," she said.

"You . . . you were the one who started that fire . . ."

She said nothing.

"I see," he said slowly.

"Is this about that girl? Leia?" Qi'ra said. "I can still help you, Han."

"Thanks," he said. "But I don't think I can take you up on that offer."

Her eyes searched his. She clenched her jar, and her gaze went cold and distant. "Han you go in there, and there is no coming back. I know you have a soft spot for that girl, but don't do this. Let me help you," she pleaded.

He raised his head. "I'm going through with this Qi'ra. Even if it costs me my life."

"For your life?" she huffed.

"It's what people do, Qi'ra, when you really care about them. You risk your life for them."

"Then you must care about her a lot."

"I love her," he said. She raised an eyebrow. "I do," he said. "Leia is amazing. Warm. Brave. Soft. She's got stars in her eyes. She's so much more . . . So I'm going through with this."

Qi'ra stepped back. She took a long look at him and then nodded at the guards. They dragged them through the red silk into the throne room. The room was dark even though braziers lined the walkway every couple of steps. A large raised platform was at the end of the room where a large round throne sat on it, and a completely black robed figure sat on it.

The guards brought Han and Chewie to the base of the steps that led up to throne. Before the guards kicked the back of their knees, Han got one good look at the Emperor. He looked really different from the paintings. His skin was pale grey color. It hung in loose folds off his face as if the skin was melting. Large knots formed above his eyes where the eyebrows should have been. The skin around his eyes were red, and the eyes themselves were a sick yellow.

He looked like a corpse. Han had personally seen living corpses. Emperor Sidious would fit right in amongst the citizens of Hades. Han knees burned as he fell to the floor in front of the throne. He glared at the tile on the floor.

"So this is the scum who thought he could steal from me?" came a gravelly voice.

Thunder crashed. The entire building shook. The Emperor kept talking, but Han wasn't focused on that. Instead he thought about Leia.

"_We need a storm_," Leia said.

"_Sure, let's just go to the market and buy one_," Han joked.

"_We're going to pray for one_," she said in a serious tone.

"_You think that's going to work?_" he asked. "_People's prayers go unanswered all the time._"

"_Those people were mortals_," she pointed out. "_Which I am not. And I'm going to be praying to Kenobi_."

"_Kenobi? He doesn't have anything to do with the weather!_"

"_I know. But he is a god who I think might listen to my prayer. A god who could talk to other gods._"

And it had worked. As the sun set yesterday, a cold wind blew in from the sea. Dark clouds gathered. Throughout the night lightning could be seen crashing in the distance. By sunrise the storm had hit the island.

"And how should you be dealt with?" the Emperor said. "Shall we tied you to the rack? Perhaps chain you to a rock and expose your insides to the creatures? Hmm?"

"Can't just stick with lock 'em away in a dungeon and forget the key?" Han asked.

The Emperor laughed. "It is a shame you have wronged me, Han Solo. The Empire could always use someone like you. But _alas_," the Emperor hissed the last word. His voice had changed. It was lower. Dangerous. The hairs on the end of Han's neck stood on end. "Not someone who doesn't know respect."

Thunder crashed again. The flames flickered.

"The thought has just struck me," the Emperor said. He paused and chuckled at his own joke. "We shall feed you to the bronze bull."

Han's throat tightened. He paled. A cold sweat started to drip down his back. The bronze bull . . . that was the worst way to go.

"Ahhh, good, good," the Emperor said as he leaned back in his throne. "You have learned fear. Shame it came too late." He raised his hand, perhaps to signal the guards to drag them away, but that was when shouts echoed from outside.

Han twisted around. Chewie did the same. The guards by the entrance had stepped through the red silk. The shouting was growing louder. Coming closer. Han couldn't help but smile. It was perfect timing. The storm had hidden all noise from her arrival. Palpatine was caught off guard.

Leia burst through the silk riding a white pegasus. She slashed at the guards as the pegasus flew into the throne room. A second grey pegasus soon followed with Ahsoka on its back. Her short bow was in hand as she unleashed arrows at the guards.

The two pegasi landed next to Han. Ahsoka dashed over to Han and Chewie and freed them from their chains with a stolen key. She passed Han an extra sword and gave Chewie her bow. Leia was still mounted. She pointed her sword at the Emperor.

"Sheev Palpatine!" she shouted. "I am here for the heart of Amidala!"

* * *

Silence. Tense and thick. Thunder rumbled. Feet were heard approaching. More guards were coming, but Leia didn't turn. She didn't waver. She kept her sword steady. She eyed the man on the throne. He was nothing more than saggy rotting corpse.

"Who comes before me?" the Emperor said. Despite his appearance, his voice was strong. It dripped with malice.

"The one who will bring you down!" Leia shouted and urged Azure Angel on.

However, instead of proceeding up the steps, the pegasus suddenly reared up and let out a terrified whine. Leia tried to stay mounted, but slipped off. Azure Angel leapt into the sky and flew up to the ceiling and then out of the room through the red silk.

No matter. Leia didn't need a pegasus to stand against Palpatine. She could do this on her own. She turned back to the throne and was just in time to see the flash of metal. She managed to get her own sword up in time. A hard and fast strike bounced off her blade. The attacking figure stepped back to reassess.

It was Qi'ra. She held an odd sword. It was short, but would work well for someone her size. She stood in a ready stance, one hand gripped the hilt, and the other on the pommel to power any of her blows.

"Why am I not surprised," Leia muttered to herself.

She was somewhat aware that Ahsoka and Chewie had gone off to fight the guards coming in from the entrance, while Han wavered. His attention torn between helping with the guards or Leia.

"You know nothing about me," Qi'ra said as she dashed forward.

Her sword clanged against Leia's. Leia swung it off and came forward with her own jab. Qi'ra dodged and swung her leg in a kick. Leia spun away, but felt the air graze her as the kick barely missed her.

"You're ambitious!" Leia grunted as swung her sword up at Qi'ra. "Motivated!" Qi'ra parried. "You want _power_!" Qi'ra's anger was rising. She came down with a heavy blow on Leia's sword, which caused Leia to backstep.

"You think you have me all figured out?" Qi'ra said. She dashed and jabbed her sword forward.

Leia swung her blade around and knocked it off. She used the momentum to bring her free hand around and slammed her fist into Qi'ra's side.

"You've been living your life in the gutter," Leia said. She wasn't completely sure where these words were coming from, but they seemed to hold a weight of truth. "You've been beaten and sold. Used. Humiliated."

Qi'ra let out a scream as her sword came in fast with a series of blows. They weren't powerful, as Qi'ra sacrificed that for speed. But it meant Leia needed to concentrate.

"You hate that life!" Leia shouted. "You'd do anything to crawl out of it. To be the one in charge. So much so that you would fake your own death."

"As if you understand, _princess_," Qi'ra hissed the last word.

Again they traded blows. But Qi'ra's blows were weakening. Sweat dripped down her face. Her sides heaved. She was tiring, but Leia was not. She too had sweat dripping down her back. But she wasn't as winded. Her muscles still held strength in them.

"Good guess," Leia said in a low voice. "I am a princess. Do you know what I am a princess of?"

"I do not care!" Qi'ra shouted coming in with a sloppy slash.

Leia ducked under it and brought her sword straight up into Qi'ra's body.

"I am the Princess of Hades," she said. "I welcome you to my realm."

Then she pulled the sword out. Red blood splashed on the tiles. Qi'ra fell to her knees. She grabbed at fatal wound.

"I'm sorry," Leia said softly. Qi'ra didn't look up. "There is nothing wrong with fighting for a better life. But that is what I am doing as well. For my mother. My father. For Han."

Then Leia walked away. Her eyes going up to the throne. They widened as she saw Han fighting the Emperor. The old man moved with grace and speed. He wielded a strange red metal sword with a gold hilt. She ran up the stairs to help.

* * *

Qi'ra and Leia were fighting each other. Ahsoka and Chewie were fighting the waves of guards coming in from the throne room entrance. The red silk that divided the entrance was torn and tattered and splashed in blood. Han knew he should go help them, but his eyes kept going back to Leia. He should help her. But that would mean fighting against Qi'ra, who . . .

Who was really handling herself well. When had she learned to fight like that? From Dryden? Or the Emperor? There was a jump in his throat and a weight in his chest as he watched the two fight. He wanted to jump into the fight. He knew he wanted to help Leia, but he would do it with a heavy heart.

This was Qi'ra. The childhood friend he remembered running the streets with as they begged and stole to survive. She was the lover he had as a youth when they would curl together under a thin blanket in the caves the White Worm gang called home. The Qi'ra whose hand he had grabbed tightly as they ran away from those very caves. When he had jumped on that ship out of Corellia, a jump Qi'ra didn't make, she landed in the water, he had promised he would come back. He would come back for her. They'd both make it out together. He meant it. It was a promise he swore to the gods. A promise he engraved on his heart. It was what brought him into Hades because he wasn't going to break his promise.

And now if he jumped into this fight, he wanted to help Leia. Not Qi'ra. Why? He barely knew Leia. She was snappy and insulted him and fearless, oh the gods, she was fearless. She had jumped off his ship to fight sea monsters. She had ran away from her father, Darth Vader, to save him from Jabba. And now, yes, he wanted to help her.

But she didn't _need_ his help. Not in this fight. His grip loosened on the sword Ahsoka had given him. Leia was a goddess. She capable of fighting her own fights. His feet shifted. He was going to go help Ahsoka and Chewie with the guards, but something caught his eye. He looked up the stairs to the Emperor. He sat forward in his throne. An eager smile on his face as he watched Leia and Qi'ra.

Han's grip tightened on the sword. He may not help Leia with Qi'ra, but that didn't mean he couldn't help. The Emperor was the reason they were here. He wasn't a sea monster. He wasn't a god. He was a frail old man, and Han could handle that. He walked up the stairs. The Emperor's attention turned to him, and his face melted into a scowl.

"Ah the foolish boy," he said. "What are you planning with such a disgusting look on your face?"

"Where's the heart?" Han asked.

A chill ran down Han's neck. The skin around the Emperor's eyes seemed to darken. His yellow eyes seemed to glow.

"_Never_," the Emperor hissed. "You shall _never_ have it!"

Han was shocked as the Emperor leapt out of his chair. A sword in his hand that came slicing down at him. Han managed to get his own sword up in time. The blow hit hard, but Han was able to push the old man off.

_Kriff_, he cursed to himself. He had not been expecting that. Where had the sword come from? Was it hidden in the throne? The Emperor twirled his sword and shifted his stance. He didn't move like an old man. He moved smoothly and with grace. He dashed forward far faster than Han had expected. Their swords clashed and clanged against each other. The Emperor was pushing Han back. Han was more on the defense than the offense.

The Emperor laughed. Han could see his yellow crooked teeth. He lunged at Han again and again. Han was able to ward off any serious blows, but had managed to get cut a few times. Red blood dripped from the cuts on his arms and legs. This fight was not going how Han had pictured it. He had yet to even get a good blow on the Emperor. Not even a knick in his robes. He wished he had a bow and some distance. He was a much better shot.

And that was when Leia came in screaming and with her sword flashing in the firelight. The Emperor hissed as he turned to face her, clearly assessing her as the bigger threat. They traded a few blows. Han took a moment to catch his breath, to reassess the situation, and to plan on how to take this old man down.

But his thoughts were cut short as Leia let out a pained shout. She staggered back a few steps. She glanced down at her arm. She had been cut. Blood dripped down her arm and fell to the floor. But it wasn't red. It was gold.

_Ichor_, Han realized. _Gods don't have blood, they have ichor._

The Emperor had noticed this as well. "A god!" he hissed. He took a few steps back. His eyes narrowed.

"Yes," Leia grunted. "I am the daughter of Amidala!"

The Emperor laughed. It started off wheezy, but then rolled into a hefty laugh.

"You are not a goddess!" he said. "You are a _child_. A godling. You have no power."

"I don't need any to defeat you," Leia barked back.

Han couldn't stop the smile that spread across his face as he was filled with warmth at seeing Leia's courage.

"You will find that you are mistaken," the Emperor said slowly, "about a great many of things."

He tossed his sword aside and brought up his white gnarled hands. Han noted each hand had a strange ring on it that had started to glow. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. He looked at Leia with his mouth open. Perhaps he was going to warn her. Or say he had a bad feeling. But it never came, because the lightning came off the Emperor's hands. It struck both Leia and Han. They both screamed, their swords falling out of their hands as they themselves fell to the floor.


	23. Chapter 23

Every part of her was on fire. She had never felt pain like this before. Tears blurred her vision. And she screamed. What else was there to do? And then as quickly as it had started, it faded away. Slowly things returned to normal. But everything hurt, whether it was just a finger to breathing. Even her heart hurt to beat.

Heart.

Her hands curled into fists as she pushed her head up. That was right. Her mother's heart. She wasn't going to let this stop her. She slowly rose to her feet. Han was still on the floor; Palpatine only laughed at her.

"What did you do?" she asked.

"How do I have the power of the gods?" Palpatine said. His voice oily.

She said nothing. She only stood up straighter as the pain of the lightning started to finally fade a bit. Her mother's heart shouldn't give a mortal an ability like shooting lightning. Plus, Amidala's powers had nothing to do with lightning. Leia looked the glowing rings on his fingers.

"So you have noticed," he said. "Both of these contain a bolt of lightning from Krell himself."

Pong Krell was the god of lightning. How had Palpatine gotten a bolt, much less two? How had he contained them into a ring?

"As you can see, you are no match for me," he purred.

"Your overconfidence is your weakness," Leia muttered.

He said nothing. Only extended his fingers and the lightning came again. This time both of his hands were focused on her. This time, it was worse. So much worse. She could do nothing but scream as she fell to her knees and the pain took over everything.

* * *

Han grit his teeth as he watched Leia squirm on the floor as the lightning bolts zapped into her. Her screams were the only thing he could hear. They tore at every torn and sore muscle in his body. He had to do something. Then just as suddenly as it had started, the lightning stopped. The Emperor's body heaved with deep breaths. Using that lightning had taken a toll. The Emperor's hand went down to his waist. It grabbed some of the cloth there.

The Emperor was ignoring Han; his eyes were on Leia. He licked his lips as he took a step closer to her.

"It looks like you, like your mother, are now mine," he said in a soft dark voice.

Leia managed to lift her head and glare at him. There was fire behind her eyes. She hadn't given up yet. He could feel that heat.

"No," she spat at him.

"I can feel your anger," he said. "Did you know your mother had none? Even as I carved her heart out?"

Leia screamed as she jumped to her feet. But the lightning slammed into her chest and shot her across the raised platform the throne sat on. The lightning quickly subsided. Palpatine was obviously out of breath. His whole body heaved. His right hand dug into his robes and pulled out a black bag. He held it up over his mouth and squeezed it. A thick gold liquid oozed out of the bag and into his mouth.

_The heart_! The heart was in the bag!

The Emperor lowered the bag as he walked over to Leia. His back now turned to Han. It was just a flicker, but for a moment she locked eyes with Han. He felt that heat inside him grow. He nodded his head, and then her eyes were back on the Emperor. He knew what he had to do. He slowly reached out and grabbed the hilt of his discarded sword.

Leia let out a small laugh as she pushed her body up. "You think yourself so powerful," she said. "As if you are a god."

"I am a _god_!" the Emperor shouted.

"No," Leia said. "You are a corpse barely managing to keep death away."

"You young fool," snarled the Emperor. "You will be destroyed as your _powers_," he paused and laughed, "are no match for mine. Now, little godling, your heart will be mine."

He raised his left hand, his empty hand, and lightning poured out of his fingers. Again, Leia fell. Again, she screamed. It filled the entire throne room. The Emperor laughed. But this time Han didn't just stand there. He ran forward with everything he had. His sword lashed out the moment he was in range. When his sword cut through the Emperor's arm, Han barely felt any resistance.

It was quiet as the hand still holding the bag landed with a thud on the floor. No screaming. No laughing. No sizzle of lightning. No clash of swords. Silence.

"_You_!" the Emperor hissed as his yellow eyes landed on Han. "You _die_!"

His left hand rose and he pointed the fingers at Han. The ring started to glow.

"No!" Leia shouted as she jumped up and grabbed the Emperor's hand with both of hers. The Emperor snarled. Lightning came out, but it lacked direction. Zig-zagging bolts snapped through the air. A good amount was hitting Leia. She gritted her teeth and looked straight at Han. "_Go_," she hissed. "Take the heart and _go_."

He wanted to say no. He wanted to stay. He could cut off the other hand. He could . . . The Emperor's hand turned into a claw and grabbed Leia's arm. She screamed. It was a scream like none of the others. The lightning was going directly into her. It went on for an eternity. A scream that tore into his very soul.

When it ended, his ears rang. He didn't even hear her body as it hit the ground. She was still. Her eyes closed. Smoke came off her body. The Emperor coughed. Black blood splashed on to the floor. He turned and faced Han. He was hunched over. His breathing deep and wet. Black blood stained his crooked teeth and dripped out of his mouth. The white's of his eyes were now black making the yellow stand out.

"You," the Emperor gurgled, "will learn your place, mortal."

The ring was starting to glow. Was there no end to this? Han couldn't win against that lightning. Leia couldn't win against it. Only a god could. A real god. Not some helpless mortal and a godling.

Oh Leia. Brave, Leia. She had tried so hard and it was all going to be for naught. He couldn't help but think of her. When they had first met. When they had danced at her father's feast. When she had laughed the first time sunlight touched her skin.

"_You will learn your place_," the Emperor had said. Hadn't Leia said something similar to that?

"_You do not know your place_," she had hissed at him when had refused to tell her where the entrance to Hades was.

"_Oh, I know my place, sweetheart. It's right here_."

The sparks started to dance between the Emperor's fingers. So this was Han's place. Right here, huh? He would die, and this time when he entered Hades, it would be as a deadman. He would have to face Vader's wrath.

Vader's wrath . . .

Han barely managed to avoid the lightning as he threw himself to the floor. It grazed his hair and back. There was a horrible smell in the air, but he ignored it as he grabbed at the bag. Whatever inside of it was soft and warm. It gently thumped. The Emperor growled. Han didn't even spare the old man a glance. He scrambled to his feet and ran. He tripped and fell down the stairs, but kept his hold on the bag tight.

Pain blossomed in his shoulder and side as he landed on the ground hard. Lightning zipped above his head. It lit up the room for a brief moment. He curled his free hand into a fist and held it up. Lightning blasted into him. He let out a shout, but kept his fist curled. With everything he had, he slammed his fist against the ground. Once. Twice. Again and again.

He couldn't speak. He could only scream. But if he could speak he would be praying.

_Hear me! Oh mighty, Darth Vader! Mighty king of Hades! Hear my pleas! It is Han Solo! Hear me! I am dying! Come take your soul myself!_

Every part of him was dying. His skin was swelling and burning at the same time. There was a pressure behind his eyes. It felt like they were going to pop out, or perhaps melt from the intense heat. His body spasmed as it twisted and contorted uncontrollably on the floor. He could smell himself frying. It was a sickly sweet smell. He was fighting a losing battle to stay conscious. He knew the moment he let go, it would be the end.

And he found himself at peace with that. He hadn't accomplished everything in life he wanted to, but if this was where the Fates had decided to cut his string, then he would accept it. Maybe in the afterlife he would see Leia at least one more time . . .

Then finally came the darkness and the silence and the cold. Ah, the sweet cold. It soothed him. Was this finally death? It was so much better than what he had been experiencing.

"You are not dead yet," came a deep voice.

How he managed to look up, how even had a shred of strength left, he did not know. But he did. He looked up at a tall figure dressed in black armor with a long black cloak. He wore a black mask and a black helmet. In his hand, he held a two-pronged bident.

"That pleasure will be mine," Darth Vader said.

* * *

Leia had awoken to the ground rumbling. The entire palace shook. Plaster broke off from the walls. The throne toppled over. The remaining guards fighting Ahsoka and Chewbacca had turned and ran away. The tile floor by Han started to crack and cave in. A large gash opened up. Smoke hissed out of it, and from that smoke stepped out the large easily recognizable form of her father. Vader stood over Han. He poked him with the end of bident.

Palpatine toppled. He had tried to catch himself with his right hand but forgot it had been cut off. He fell to the floor with a whimper. He tried to scurry away.

_No_! He could not get away.

"Fath-" she tried to say. Her voice only a cracked whisper. Her throat was dry and tight.

But Vader's head snapped up. His eyes were instantly on her.

"Leia!" he shouted as he ran over.

He was there instantly. He ripped off his helmet and mask. His bident thrown to the ground as he collected her into his arms.

"Leia," he said softly. His brows completely creased in concern. "What happened?"

Her head rested against his shoulder as he cradled her to him.

". . . palp . . ." she whispered.

"Palp?"

" . . . a . . . tine . . ."

She felt him stiffen and freeze.

"Palpatine?" he said, his voice barely audible. Barely more than an exhale of breath.

She turned her head and looked over at the scrambling black mass. Vader's eyes followed hers. His whole body flinched. His grip on her tightened.

"Palpatine," he growled. He gently lowered Leia back to the floor. He picked up his bident, but left his mask and helmet. "_Palpatine_!" he shouted as he marched over to the man.

Palpatine let out a screech. Vader stabbed his bident down. It pinned Palpatine's robe to the floor. The old man grabbed at the fabric to try and free himself.

"How I have dreamt of this day," Vader said. He lowered himself to one knee. His face hovered right above Palpatine's. "I am going to grant you your wish," he said in a soft whisper. "I am going to give you immortality. Never shall the Fates cut your string. Never shall Death claim your soul. You. Are. _Mine_. And you shall spend eternity in my wrath. Forever burning only to be frozen. Forever torn apart only to be pieced back together. Forever being eaten only to be thrown up."

Then he stood up. He waved his hand, and the floor cracked open. Palpatine fell through the crack and screamed as he went. The scream tapered away the further into Hades he fell. Vader stood over the hole staring for a moment. Then he turned sharply and returned to Leia. He knelt back down and scooped her back up.

"Leia," he said softly. "Oh, my beautiful brave daughter."

He kissed her head.

"What a foolishly brave thing you did," he said. A black leather gloved hand came up and cupped her face. His thumb gently rubbed back and forth. "You did not have to do this on your own. You should have come to me. I could have handled this."

There were a million arguments she could have made. But none made it to her lips. She just smiled up at him; he smiled back.

"Ha- Han," she muttered.

She craned her neck to look at him. Vader looked at him as well. Han had managed to sit up. He was looking at Vader, who scowled.

"Ah, the mortal," Vader said.

"Fath-father," Leia said. She placed her hand on his chest plate. His gold eyes looked back at her.

"Do not give me that look," he uttered softly. "He has trespassed against a god. Against _me_."

Leia sighed wishing she could just speak clearly. She shook her head softly.

"H- h- heart," she finally managed to get out. Vader's head tilted to the side in confusion. "Moth- mother- mother's hear- heart- t-."

Her father's eyes went wide. His head snapped back to Han. He stood up with Leia still in his arms and walked over to Han. Han was hunched over and staring at the ground. His breathing was labored. He looked up at the gods as they stopped in front of him. His skin was red, eyes were bloodshot,and his body trembled. A burnt smell lingered about him. There were charred spots on his skin where the lightning had hit him.

Yet, despite all of this he slowly brought up his hand which held a black bag. Vader slowly lowered himself down to his knees. One hand slipped out from under Leia's knees and reached for the bag. He cautiously took and laid it to rest on Leia's lap so he could undo the black string. He pulled back the black cloth. He gasped, but then his breath caught in his throat. Leia's had as well.

There in her lap was a golden heart. The heart of her mother. It thumped gently and evenly. Vader reached out and gently touched it. He was still and quiet for a long time. No one spoke. No one moved. Then finally Vader's head rose. He looked straight at Han.

"Do you know what you have given me?" Vader asked.

Han looked up, shrugged, and then smiled. "Yeah," he said weakly. "I know."

Leia nudged her father with her elbow. It wasn't as strong as she would have liked, but Vader felt it. He looked at her. She did her best to portray her thoughts with her expression. Vader looked back at Han with a look of disgust on his face. He let out a soft moan.

"It seems, Han Solo, I am indebted to you," Vader said. "What is your wish? Ask me, and I shall grant it."

Vader looked at her and she smiled. A frown tugged on his lips. He wasn't happy with this, but he knew he had to follow protocol.

"Just . . . just . . ." Han said. His voice pained. "Don't . . . kill- kill . . . me."

Silence. Vader stared. Han stared back. Leia's head turned from one to the other.

"Is that . . . _all_?" Vader finally asked.


	24. Chapter 24

Vader was alone, as he always was, when he entered the room where his wife rested. Leia had wanted to come. She had argued, and Vader had argued back.

"_She will not know you,_" he had said softly.

The pain that swept across his daughter's face only pained him. Padmé would not recognize Leia. It was for the best Vader did this alone. Leia eventually agreed.

In his hand, he held a black bag that contained his wife's heart. It was the same bag Palpatine had kept it in. He should have replaced it. Such a dirty vile thing. However, soon it wouldn't matter. Soon the heart would be in its proper place.

The room was was the same, peaceful with the waterfalls trickling down into the pool that lined the room. The field of white flowers around the sarcophagus was always in bloom. He stepped through them until he reached the open sarcophagus. He looked down at his wife.

She was unchanged, just like the room. She laid in a pool of golden nectar. Various flowers floated in the golden liquid. They bobbed gently around the folds of her blue dress and curls. She looked like a marble statue. Still and cold. No pink on her lips or cheeks. There was a tightness in his heart. He wore only a simple black long chiton. No gloves or armor or helmet. It was just him. Just her. He reached down and stroked her cheek with his knuckles.

Then he reached down and parted her dress open to reveal her chest. He stared at the huge slash that ran through her upper left chest. When Obi-Wan had brought Padmé's body to Olympus, they had cleaned her. He was told she had looked far worse than this as Palpatine had hacked her body apart to reach the heart.

Vader withdrew his hand. He opened the black bag and took out the heart. The bag fell to the floor instantly forgotten. Slowly, cautiously, he leaned over. He placed one hand against her chest and with the other he lowered the heart into the opening. Once it was in, he withdrew his hand and waited.

His eyes flickered to her face then back to the heart. Nothing. The heart wasn't even beating! Pain shot through him. This had to work! Gods didn't die!

There was a flutter inside her chest. He paused. His breath caught in his chest. He leaned over and looked into the still-open wound. He watched, eyes straining. Then the heart fluttered. Just barely, but it was there. Relief was instantaneous. It fluttered again. And again. It was beating! The heart was beating.

It picked up a rhythm that grew steady and strong. He watched as the wound started to patch itself up. The ribs regrew. The muscles knitted itself back together. The skin sealed itself, though a large pale scar ran across Padmé's chest. He watched as her chest started to rise and fall. Breath escaped her lips. Her cheeks and lips turned a light pink.

His eyes filled with tears that gently rolled down his cheeks. Her lashes fluttered. Everything in him froze except for his tears. Then slowly, Padmé opened her eyes. She blinked a few times and glanced around until her big brown eyes landed on him.

"Anakin?" she said softly.

Everything in him broke. He sobbed loudly in relief. He leaned down and wrapped his arms around her. He buried his face into her hair. Her own arms very slowly wrapped around him.

"Anakin?" she asked again.

Oh, her voice. How he had missed her voice.

"Is everything ok?" she asked.

He leaned back and wiped his face with the back of his hand.

"Yes," he said. "Yes. It finally is."

Then he kissed her. She was startled at first. But then her hands cupped the sides of his face and she kissed him back.

* * *

Leia looked up at the cavern ceiling. It twinkled in glowing rocks and algae. Her father's masterpiece to mimic the night sky he also missed and wanted to share with his children. She was home. Back at her father's palace in Hades.

There was something calming about being here. It was comfortable. Safe. She felt like she could finally relax and get some real rest. Yet, she was restless. She fidgeted with the folds of her chiton. There was something nagging her. As if she had forgotten something, but she couldn't remember what.

"It's pretty."

She looked over her shoulder and smiled as Han walked over. He looked odd dressed in a long, fine dark blue chiton. It had gold clasps on the shoulder and a black leather belt with gold details. He paused as he looked at her.

She was dressed in a long blue chiton. The sleeves were open and only connected by five golden clasps on each arm. She wore a golden cuff around each arm. A golden beaded belt cinched her chiton under her breasts. Draped over one shoulder and down her side was a dark sash. The sides were embroidered in gold leaf patterns. Her hair had been braided and curled up around a thick gold circlet.

"Wow," he said. "You're pretty as well."

She raised an eyebrow. He blushed.

"You know, never thought I'd be here again. Alive," he said as he came to stand even with her.

"Is it fair of me to say, I thought the same?" she said with a laugh.

"And here I am, an _honored_ guest of Lord Vader," Han said.

"Have you thought about what you will ask of him?" she asked.

Vader had told him that his first request did not count. He wasn't in the right mind to truly think of the magnitude of what Vader was offering. Plus, at the very least he could spare the mortal.

"Yeah," he said. "I think I have."

Leia stilled. He had already decided? He stayed quiet. It was so quiet that if Leia focused she could hear flames flickering on their torches or in braziers. She could hear the flap of flags. Perhaps she might hear the distance clop of a hoof or the flap of a wing. Generally, there was no screaming or wailing around the palace unless there was an event. This silence had been a part of Leia's entire life growing up. It had soothed her.

But now she missed the sounds of the mortal realm. She missed the sound of the wind and the crash of the waves. The call of the animals and the talk and shouts of people. Living, happy people.

"In fact," he said finally breaking the silence, "I already asked him. Before he left."

She perked up. "What . . . what did you ask of him?"

"When I die, I'd like to go to the Elysian Fields," he said.

She was shocked. She just stood there. Out of all the things he could have asked for . . . He could have asked for untold riches or the control over great beasts of the dead. He probably could have asked for a long life. Immortality. Yet, he asked for paradise after death.

Something caught in her throat. It caused her eyes to burn. She blinked and turned away from him. She looked up at the cavern ceiling.

"If I have to spend eternity down here, I think I'd rather spend it somewhere nice. Somewhere peaceful," he said.

"You know the Elysian Fields are saved for only those related to the gods," she managed to say calmly. She was surprised at how even her words had come out.

"Yeah. No way for some ordinary mortal like to get in," he said.

She blinked away the tears forming in her eyes. She took a calming breath and faced him.

"Why?" she asked. "Why that?"

"Why not piles of gold?" he said with a crooked smirk.

"Why not immortality?" she pressed.

His face fell.

"I saw the Emperor," he said softly. "He just looked . . . "

"Unhappy?" she asked.

"Ugly."

She laughed.

"But yes, unhappy," he said. "Miserable. What life was that? I don't want that. I don't need it. One lifetime should be enough for me to do whatever it is . . . I want to do. I hope. But I thought I was going to die in that throne room. And I realized, death didn't scare me. Not like it used to. Especially since I know you'll be around this place."

He smiled. She felt her cheeks burn.

"So . . . I suppose you'll be leaving then," she said.

"Well this place isn't for the living, that's for sure. I've already been warned eating the food here will bind you to this place. So I'm stuck eating that dried meat one of your poor servants brought me." He paused as he smiled as he looked out across the city and the cavern. "And what about you?" he asked.

"Me?"

"What will you do next? You going to stay here or . . ."

_Or come with me?_

That was the unsaid question. She knew what she wanted to say. She wanted to go with him. But . . .

"No," she said softly.

He nodded his head sadly. "It's your brother, isn't it?"

"Yes. My father had hoped that once I returned to Hades, he'd awaken. It was the first thing we did once we got here. But Luke . . . He hasn't woken up. I can't . . . I can't just leave him behind. He would never do that to me."

He took a deep sharp breath. One of grief. One Leia understood too well. The same grief was inside of her. He reached over and placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it.

"You'll figure it out," he said. "As I've personally experienced, nothing can stop you once you put your mind to do something."

He smiled, and she returned it in full. She reached up and grabbed his hand and squeezed it. She stared up into his eyes. His cheeks were a bright pink and she wondered if hers were too.

"Leia?"

They both snatched their hands down to their sides at the same time. She spun around to see her father approaching, and he wasn't alone. A woman walked beside him dressed in a flowing blue-green chiton dress. Her brown curls hung loosely at her side. And . . . and it was her.

It was _her_. Her _mother_. Padmé Amidala.

Tears at once formed in her eyes. Her heart pounded in her chest as her parents, _both of them_!, approached. The only depictions she had ever seen of her mother had been of her as the goddess Amidala. And she saw that woman reflected there. The round face. The marks on her cheeks. The shape of her eyes, but all the statues had failed to capture her true beauty.

Everything else had faded away. It was only mother and daughter. They stood in front of each other a mere step apart. Each one looking over the other one. And then Padmé smiled. Leia tried to smile back, but a sob bubbled up inside of her. Tears flooded down her face. Her cheeks burned in embarrassment. But when she looked back up at her mother, Padmé was also crying. She was also smiling.

She took a step forward, closing the gap between them, and wrapped her arms around Leia. Leia leaned her head against her mother's shoulder. Padmé smelled of flowers. A sob shook Leia again, and Padmé began to gently rub her back. It was such a motherly thing to do and only caused Leia to cry harder.

"I'm- I'm s- s- sorry," Leia sobbed into her mother's hair.

"Shhh, shhh," Padmé cooed. "It's ok. I understand."

Leia could feel Padmé's own tears. Slowly Leia raised her own arms and wrapped them around her mother. Padmé held her daughter tighter, and Leia returned the hug. It was the first hug they had ever shared, and luckily it wouldn't be their last.

* * *

Luke slowly awoke. He felt so groggy; it was hard to wake up. To open his eyes took effort. When he did finally manage to open them, it took a moment for everything to come into focus, Slowly he recognized the ceiling of his bedroom. How long had he been asleep for? When had he gone to bed?

He couldn't recall. In fact . . . he couldn't recall much at all. He vaguely remembered the day before of having breakfast with his father and sister then he had headed out to the Acheron River . . . Ah! He had seen that mortal ride a drexl across it.

Something bumped against his bed. He slowly turned his head. The rest of his body still felt so heavy and tired. He first noticed his father, who stood by his beside. His hair hung loose around his face. He was dressed in his typical black chiton. He smiled warmly at Luke. However, next to him was a woman. She stood right next to Luke's head. She looked familiar, but Luke couldn't place where he had seen her before. She smiled warmly down at him. Luke smiled back.

"Luke?"

He looked to the person standing on the other side of Father.

"Leia . . ." Luke said. His voice was nothing more than a whisper.

Instantly, Leia's eyes filled with tears.

"What . . . Why?" Luke tried to get out.

But Leia jumped on the bed and crawled over to him. She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed him.

"I missed you so much," she whispered into his hair.

He wrapped his arms around her. He wasn't sure why she was so emotional. Had something happened while he was asleep?

"I have so much to tell you," she whispered again.

Clearly, something had.

* * *

Leia had never expected her return to Mount Olympus would be with her entire family. Yes, her _entire_ family. Vader rode a giant black pegasus named Devastator. Padmé rode with him. The pegasus was large enough for both to ride comfortably. Leia rode Azure Angel, and Luke rode Twilight. His face was alight the entire flight out of Hades into the mortal realm and then to Olympus.

They landed at the foot of the grand temple, a giant pyramid with five spires sticking out the top. On the steps stood the citizens of Olympus. Leia was surprised so many were here. She saw her aunt Sola with tears were in her eyes that she dabbed with a piece of cloth.

Standing even with one another at the top of the steps were the twelve gods of the Pantheon Order, the reigning council of the gods. Amongst them stood Obi-Wan Kenobi, Sabé, and Yoda. There were others in the council Leia recognized but hadn't met the last time she was here such as Mace Windu and Kit Fisto. Slowly the family walked up the steps. Leia even noticed Qui-Gon Jinn hiding behind the rest of the crowd. He nodded at her. Also hiding in the crowd was Miraj. Her face was twisted in annoyance. Leia only smiled at her before she looked away. The family stopped at the last step. The crowd quieted.

"Welcome, you are, family of Vader," Yoda said. "For all of you to be here together, too long has it been."

Vader was stiff. His arm was looped around Padmé's arm. She gracefully nodded her head.

"The Pantheon Order has gathered to announce the godhood of the goddess Leia," Mace said. "She has discovered her purpose as a god."

Leia could feel everyone's attention on her. Even her parents and brother had turned to look at her.

"What purpose have you found?" Yoda asked.

She closed her eyes and reached inside of her. It was there. That restlessness. That ache. The _need_ to do something. This was what the purpose was. She could feel it reach out beyond Olympus into the mortal realm. She could sense the mortals. She could hear their prayers. They weren't directed at her, not yet, so they were nothing more than soft whispers. But they were prayers she could answer.

"A purpose to do good," Leia said softly. "For there to be justice. For people to find their own strength."

She recalled Palpatine's throne room. She had faced him as a godling. Never once had she backed down and cowered. And she had inspired Han to act as well.

She opened her eyes. "I want to bring courage," she said.

Yoda nodded his head. "A goddess of heroes you shall be," he said smiling. "A god name we shall give you."

"Wait!" Leia said. "Do I . . . Do I get a say in the matter?"

"That is rather . . . unprecedented," Mace said. "A god is usually gifted a god name. You do not get to pick."

Leia pursed her lips. Her eyes flickered to Sabé, who had picked her own name after she had split into two different goddesses. Sabé smiled and nodded knowingly.

"Listen, we shall to your request," Yoda said.

"I was thinking . . . for my god name . . ." She looked up at her father who stood right beside her. She smiled at him and looked back at the Order. "I was hoping my god name could be Skywalker. Like my father before me."

Vader placed his hand on her shoulder and squeezed it.

"Skywalker, goddess of heroes, hmm?" Yoda said.

He looked up at the rest of the Order. Sabé was the first to nod her head. Obi-Wan did the same. Soon all of them had nodded in consent.

"It has been decided," Mace said. His voice was loud and carried across the gathered group. "This young goddess will from now on be Leia Skywalker, goddess of Heroes."

The crowd erupted in applause. Leia blushed. Luke elbowed her in his side. She shot him a dirty look, but he only smiled.

Yoda held up a hand, and the crowd quieted down.

"Finished, our business is not," he said. "Padmé Amidala. Returned to us you have."

Padmé pulled her arm out from Vader and stepped up to the Order.

"I have," she said.

"But you are changed, hmm?" Yoda said as he leaned forward and peered at her.

"Yes," she said. "My purpose has changed."

People softly muttered in surprise. Obi-Wan stroked his beard in thought. Sabe's smile widened as she crossed her arms across her chest. Of course, Leia already knew this. Padmé had discussed it with her family.

"_Is such a thing possible_?" Vader asked.

"_Your purpose changed_," Luke said to his father.

"_I fell_," Vader said. "_I became a darth. Your mother has not_."

"I no longer feel the old calling of justice like I used to," Padmé said softly on the temple steps. Everyone quieted to hear her speak. "I have changed. Undergone a new trial. Found a new purpose."

Yoda nodded.

"It is a purpose of rebirth and renewal," she said. "Of returning." She looked over her shoulder at Luke. "Of awakening."

It had been Padmé who had woken Luke up with a kiss to his cheek. It was then when Padmé had realized her purpose had changed.

"You are saying you have become a new goddess?" Mace asked.

Padmé looked back at the Order and nodded.

"A goddess of rebirth," Yoda said.

"Then you shall need a new god name," Mace said.

"No," Padmé said at once.

Mace frowned.

"I like my old one," she said with a smile. "I'd like to keep it."

"Amidala is already the goddess of justice," Mace pointed out.

"And I am Amidala, and I am no longer the goddess of justice. I am the goddess of rebirth," she said.

A few of the Order shared glances with each other.

"She isn't going to change her mind," Sabé said softly as she smiled at Padmé.

Mace sighed. "Very well," he muttered. Then he straightened up and announced, "From now on Padmé will be Amidala, the goddess of rebirth."

* * *

Han Solo watched the waves. He was back on his ship. Back on the sea. The Emperor's death had shaken things up. The Empire had broken apart. There were some who were ready to return to the Great Peace and the great senate assembly of nations. This group was called the Alliance, which Ahsoka was a part of. After the Emperor died, Ahsoka had informed the Alliance what had happened, and the Alliance had taken control of Coruscant. However, that wasn't the end of the Empire. There were still pieces of it leftover. War was on the horizon. Everyone could feel it.

Han was shipping weapons and goods out to the outer rim islands. Alliance forces were gathering there. It was good work. Honest work. Ahsoka had asked if Han wanted to join the Alliance's navy. She said they could use a good man like him. He had only laughed. He'd carry some goods for them, but tying himself down to one thing wasn't for him.

He already knew what his afterlife was going to be. He wasn't going to waste the rest of his living life. He wasn't sure what he would do after delivering this job ended, but that was fine with him.

There was a large thud and the ship rocked from side to side. Chewie roared in confusion.

"What was that?" Han shouted. Had they hit something? Then he heard a laugh. A laugh he knew.

He spun around and there she was. A goddess. She was dressed in a short white chiton with a short gold armor chest plate and shoulder plates. A shield hung off her back and a sword on her belt.

"Leia!" he said. "What . . . What are you doing here?"

"Catching a ride," she said. "I just talked with Windu. There's a war coming. Seems like some people might need some courage."

"And you are going to be the one to give to them?" he asked.

"Didn't you hear?" she said. She walked over to him, closing the gap between them. "There's a new goddess of heroes."

"Oh?"

"Yeah," she said. "This will be her first time appearing as a goddess to mortals."

"Nervous?"

"Would you laugh if I said I was?"

"What happened to that godling I knew who dared a mortal to attend a feast of Darth Vader to dance with her? Or the one who fought off two sea monsters? Or who killed Jabba?"

She rolled her eyes. He cautiously reached forward and placed his hand on her hip.

"She got mixed up with some snuck up, scruffy-looking, nerf-herder mortal," she said smiling. Ah, the beautiful smile where the stars were caught in her eyes.

"Scruffy-looking?" he asked.

She leaned in and grabbed his face. His eyes widened as her lips pressed against his. Everything melted away. His whole body lit up. She pulled away laughing.

"I love you," he blurted out.

"I know," she said.

He wasted no time in wrapping his arms around her. Their lips met again, and they kissed.

* * *

_The End_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading Godhood. Thanks for all the support and comments. We have reached the end. I know some might be disappointed Luke did not have a larger role in this story. I really wanted to write a story that focused more on Leia. However, I would love to write a sequel that gives Luke the proper attention he deserves. However, I haven't decided on what he would be a god of. I chose Leia as the goddess of heroes because she really is someone who inspires hope and motivates others to do good. However, it was hard to figure out what she would be. Even harder for Luke. I am open to suggestions. Again, thanks so much. 


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